'Amnesty is starting point' on journey to independence vote, Catalan president tells Senate

Catalan president Pere Aragonès defended the ideas of an amnesty and self-determination in the Spanish Senate on Thursday. 

Speaking at the general commission of Autonomous Communities in the upper house, the president said: "amnesty is not an end point," but "a starting point with a destination: that citizens vote on independence." 

The session was organized by Spain's conservative People's Party (PP), who have a majority in the Senate. Aragonès was the only leader of an Autonomous Community to attend, aside from regional PP presidents. 

Socialist leaders did not participate, nor did the Basque Country's Íñigo Urkullu. 

Aragonès criticized the PP for "not caring about Catalonia or Catalans," adding "they only want to use us for their quarrels." 

Before his Senate appearance, the president met with senators from his party, Esquerra Republicana, fellow pro-independence party Junts, and the Catalan branch of the Socialist party. 

Amnesty "essential" to resolve political conflict 

In a speech entirely in Catalan, Pere Aragonès said he had come to defend a "Catalonia for everyone, regardless of what they think," in contrast to the PP, which seeks "return to anti-Catalanism."  

"Amnesty today is essential in the resolution of the political conflict between Catalonia and the institutions of the Spanish state," he said. 

An amnesty for individuals involved in Catalonia's pro-independence push since 2010, would mean "the recognition of the existence of a political conflict that will be resolved through dialogue, negotiation and agreements," the president said. Agreements, he added, that "must be voted on by the citizens of Catalonia." 

Aragonès spoke of his preference for a Scotland-style referendum, undertaken in agreement with Spain. 

"We want to do it in an agreed way, one that's recognized, with the participation of everyone so that the citizens of Catalonia are the ones who decide, where all options are possible." 

"Ladies and gentlemen, Catalonia will vote in a referendum. I am convinced of it." he concluded. 

Post-election negotiations 

An amnesty is one of the demands of Catalan pro-independence parties Esquerra Republicana and Junts as they negotiate with the Spanish Socialists over the possible reelection of Pedro Sánchez as prime minister.  

PP, who won the most votes in July's inconclusive general election but fell short of a majority in Congress, are against an amnesty. 

An amnesty would allow figures such as Carles Puigdemont to return. The former Catalan president who oversaw the 2017 independence referendum is currently living in exile in Belgium. 

"Soon there will be no Spaniards" 

The president of the Madrid region, the PP's Isabel Díaz Ayuso, warned that an amnesty law, which she believes is an inevitability, would constitute a "felony." 

"How long does a nation that allows itself to be betrayed last," she asked the Senate, adding: "If this outrage succeeds, soon there will be no Spaniards." 

Ayuso, along with several other PP regional presidents, argued that an amnesty would be unconstitutional.  

Following on from an amnesty would come independence, Ayuso said, then the "imposition of a totalitarian regime," and territorial claims on Aragon and the Balearic Islands. 

Galician PP president Alfonso Rueda warned "the future of Spain is at stake." 

The PP president of Castile and Leon, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, and several colleagues hit out at Aragonès for leaving after he had made his own speech. The Catalan president cited other commitments.  

After Aragonès' speech, the PP issued a press release stating that the Catalan president acted as "spokesperson for the [Socialist-led] coalition government." Aragonès' party Esquerra did not form part of the Spanish government in the last term but did abstain or give support on key votes in Congress. 

The leader of the People's Party in Catalonia, Alejandro Fernández, posted on social media that Aragonès "tried to play Chuck Norris in the Senate" but "didn't fit the role very well."