Pedro Sánchez’s agreement with the Catalan separatists that has sparked protests in Spain

Between Spanish flags and shouts of “let’s stop the betrayal” and “Spain It is not for sale”, thousands of people have been joining protests in recent weeks in front of the headquarters of the (Spanish Socialist Workers Party) PSOE in several cities of the Iberian country. The reason for the discontent is the project to grant amnesty to the Catalan independentists promoted by the acting head of government, Pedro Sanchezin exchange for the votes necessary to maintain his position.

LOOK: Protests in Spain before the socialist party against an amnesty for Catalan independentists

The PSOE, led by Sánchez, finished in second place in the legislative elections of July 23, behind the conservative Popular Party, which did not achieve the parliamentary support necessary to come to power. Now, the Socialists are negotiating with Catalan separatist parties to support their efforts to form a new government and keep their center-left coalition in power. Your support is essential to achieve this.

Thus, Sanchez accepted the demand of the independentists to prepare an amnesty law for the separatists prosecuted by the Spanish justice system, among them the leaders who fled Spain after their failed secession attempt in 2017. The agreement provoked indignation in several sectors, including the main opposition parties and right-wing groups.

The protests led to incidents on Monday night in front of the PSOE headquarters in Madrid, with three arrests and the use of tear gas by the riot police. Santiago Abascal, leader of the radical right group Vox, the third largest group in the Congress of Deputies, attended the march and has called for “permanent, constant and growing mobilization.”

The conservative Popular Party (PP) has called rallies throughout Spain. “I am not going to allow in the name of my country (…) to ask for forgiveness from those who attacked and those who attacked the institutions,” said the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo.

Sánchez’s agreement

While political tension increases, negotiations between socialists and independentists still continue. Sanchez obtained the support of the seven deputies of the Republican Left of Catalonia (Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, ERC), but must still guarantee the support of the seven of Together for Catalonia (Junts per Catalunya, JxCat), the party of Carles Puigdemont, leader of the attempt of 2017 and who directs the talks on the agreements from Brussels.

Sánchez has until November 27 to form a government or parliament will be automatically dissolved and new elections will be called for January.

Enrique Banús, director of the Institute of European Studies at the University of Piura, highlights that Sánchez needs the Catalans to be a government and, therefore, he is negotiating and giving in on several points.

In addition to the amnesty bill, which would have to be voted on by Parliament, “another point of the agreement is the transfer of powers to the Catalan government, to which they have just handed over responsibility for the suburban railways. The other thing that is in the air is the issue of recognition of the Catalan nation and the referendum, because Catalonia is recognized as a nationality, not as a nation,” he explains to El Comercio.

The expert considers that Sánchez’s strategy with the Catalans has been to let time pass, with the belief that the closer the deadline gets, the easier it will be to not have to give in on everything. The problem is that the Catalans have the same strategy. Catalans are two different groups. Puigdemont is developing an interesting strategy, which is to reach an agreement and then seek to add more requests to negotiate again and so on.

“As for amnesties, Pedro Sánchez will end up giving in on everything. He has already given up a lot and will continue to do so because he has no choice. Sánchez is negotiating downwards an agreement that allows him to govern and for many people the problem is not governability, but rather that he governs above a series of fundamental principles. This is being used very well, especially by Puigdemont, who is a very skilled character,” says Banús.

Rising pressure

Not only do the protests taking place in different parts of Spain increase the pressure on Sánchez, but, at the same time, the Justice offensive against independence leaders such as Puigdemont continues.

The Spanish justice system, which is already demanding Puigdemont for his role in the events of 2017, announced on Monday the 6th that it is also investigating him for the riots that occurred in Catalonia in 2019 in protest of the prison sentences of other independence leaders.

In addition, the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), a collegiate body that appoints judges, approved a declaration with the vote in favor of the conservative members in which they denounced that the amnesty project could “degrade” and “convert the State of law as a marketing object.”

For Banús it is clear that with the agreement Puigdemont will be able to return to Spain and all the disqualified figures will be able to run for office again and participate in political life “as if nothing had happened.”

“As long as that happens, the anger will continue. PP and Vox voters do not agree at all with this measure and a part of the socialists do not agree either because it shows that many things are negotiable that for many do not seem so negotiable. Jurists are also divided. What all this is doing is deepening the division that has been worsening for some time and is a legacy of Pedro Sánchez. Today there is a lot of tension, the tones are very sour and virulent and that does not favor anyone,” says the analyst.

For now, demonstrations have already been called for Sunday in the country’s provincial capitals, and on Saturday, November 18, a large protest in Madrid.