The Catalan independentists fulfilled their threat: the Amnesty law in Spain is paralyzed and subject to new negotiations. This Tuesday, January 30, a few hours after being put to a vote in the Congress of Deputies, the independentists of Junts per Catalunya stressed that they would knock down the legislative project if it did not include the elimination of the crimes of “terrorism and “high treason.” . Separatist politicians increase their pressure after Judge Joaquin Aguirre reactivated an investigation into the alleged connections of Puigdemont and his entourage with the Russian Government, which would have supported the independence cause to destabilize the European Union.
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A measurement of forces in the Spanish Legislature that puts the controversial Amnesty law in check. The initiative is returned to the Justice Commission so that negotiations can be restarted.
With 171 votes in favor, 179 against and no abstentions The law was rejected this January 30 in the Congress of Deputies. A minimum of 176 supporting votes was required for its approval.
“Consequently, since the absolute majority of the members of the Chamber has not been obtained for the proposal of the Organic Law of Amnesty, for the institutional, political and social normalization in Catalonia, it is returned to the Justice Commission to issue a new opinion,” said the president of Congress, Francina Armengol.
The Justice Commission must issue a “new opinion within a period of one month”according to point 2 of article 131 of the Congress Regulations.
In the midst of the last-minute negotiations, the independentists of Junts per Catalunya marked a siege on the left-wing bloc, led by the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez: or they supported his amendments to suppress crimes of terrorism and high treason or their vote would be for 'no', a threat that they finally carried out.
The PSOE was reluctant to these pressures and rejected the conditioning of the legislators of the party led by the former president of the Generalitat, Carles Puigdemont and Esquerra Republicana.
The vote against the socialists was added to the expected statement in that sense from the opponents of the Popular Party (PP) and Vox, from the extreme right.
“We have always said that the amnesty must include everyone and must be applied immediately. The proposal being voted on today does not guarantee these objectives,” the Catalan bench said in a statement.
Junts insisted on its ultimatum while the rest of the parties aligned with the Government indicated that this is an “opportunity” that the independentists should not miss.
The Organic Amnesty Law resulted from negotiations between the left-wing bloc and the independentists to support the inauguration of Pedro Sánchez, which occurred last November, after the inconclusive and early elections of July 2023.
Since then, those of Junts have reiterated that their support for Sánchez and his Government's measures is subject to the fulfillment of their promises to the independentists, including a path for what they call the self-determination of Catalonia. Constant squabbles are the order of the day and a comfortable margin of governability is not guaranteed.
Puigdemont, on a tightrope after reactivation of the case that links the process with Russia
The pressure from the independentistas is an attempt to cover under the umbrella of amnesty their leader Puigdemont, the current leader of the Generalitat, Oriol Junqueras, and other separatist politicians against any crime committed in the process, the attempted independence of the northeastern region of Spain.
Exemptions that separatist politicians are pushing for now more than ever. And Judge Joaquin Aguirre reactivated the investigation into the so-called Voloh case, which investigates the alleged connections of Puigdemont and his entourage with the Russian Government. According to the investigations, Moscow would have offered “economic and military support” to support the independence cause, with the aim of destabilizing the European Union.
According to Aguirre, the former president of the Generalitat and his entourage maintained “close personal relations” with members of the Russian secret services and with far-right politicians from Germany and Italy.
A case that could be tried under the crime of high treason, precisely the one that the independentists also demand be included in the amnesty to guarantee an eventual exoneration of their leader.
The magistrate requested a extension of the investigation for six months, which are counted starting next February 27.
Those from Junts and Esquerra seek to overturn any measure by the judges so that the eventual entry into force of the regulations is not immediate or extensive.
A position that Junts spokesperson, Miriam Nogueras, highlighted before the gallery of the Congress of Deputies. “We cannot leave the amnesty in the hands of the prevaricating Spanish judicial leadership (…) The Spanish Government should demonstrate its authority in the face of these unacceptable events. We maintain our position with all the risks, she stated in a defiant tone, while “the fight” of her party is for the independence of Catalonia.
With local media
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