Socialists and Esquerra reach deal on amnesty law amid post-election talks

Spanish acting prime minister Pedro Sánchez and Catalan president Pere Aragonès have agreed on an amnesty law for all Catalan pro-independence figures related to organizing the 2017 self-determination referendum. 

The law proposal would also pardon, according to the pro-independence party Esquerra Republicana, members of the Tsunami Democràtic, an anonymous pro-independence group on a mission to make Spain negotiate through non-violent protest after the Supreme Court's sentencing of Catalan independence leaders to between nine and 13 years in prison. 

One of the most remembered actions of Tsunami Democràtic (Democratic Tsunami) was the blockade of Barcelona El Prat airport.

"Last details" 

Sánchez and Aragonès spoke on the phone on Tuesday afternoon, and both parties released a statement saying that they had agreed upon the "last details" of the amnesty law. 

Both political forces "consider their expectations met and are satisfied with their principles on the law," the text reads. 

The law will now have to be submitted to the Congress, probably ahead of a prime ministerial vote on the Socialists candidate, and the idea of the latter is for the law to be signed jointly between the Socialists, left-wing coalition Sumar, Catalan pro-independence Esquerra and Junts, Basque and nationalist Bildu and PNB, and the Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG).

After the agreement between both leaders, the negotiating teams are now in charge of "closing the deal in the upcoming hours for eventually backing the prime ministerial bid vote" once Esquerra's government body approves the deal. 

The text also includes that the agreement "will feature political and economic matters to negotiate during the four-year term."

Congress spokesperson Francina Armengol expects to announce the date of the session by Friday to coincide with the Congress bureau meeting, with the possibility of convening the chamber on November 7 and 8.

Sources expect Sánchez to be voted PM on Wednesday, so there is no need to call on a second vote on Friday 10.

Crucial meeting in Belgium 

The agreement between the Socialists and Esquerra takes place after a meeting on Monday between former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and Socialist organizational secretary Santos Cerdán at the European Parliament in Brussels, as Puigdemont left Spain after the 2017 referendum and has not returned since, serving as an MEP for Junts. 

Sources say the meeting went well, and they discussed not only backing Pedro Sánchez but also a possible agreement for the four-year term. 

The Socialists did not clarify how it would go about making such an agreement official, nor if it would have a joint agreement or a separate one for each party.  However, a phone call or a joint photo with Sánchez and Puigdemont that certifies the deal is not likely.

Junts and the Socialists still need to finalize a deal, but there is only 5% left, as "the elements that separate Junts and PSOE are minor and secondary," Jaume Asens, one of the negotiators of left-wing Sumar, said on Wednesday morning in an interview with Catalan public radio station Catalunya Ràdio.

"We agree on 95% of the text," and he believes the differences "are not enough for the deal to fall."

"In the upcoming hours or days," Asens added, he trusted there would be a final deal between Junts and the Socialists.

"Spaniards' dignity surrender"

The conservative People's Party has considered that the Socialists have signed a "dignity surrender" of all Spaniards after reaching a deal with Esquerra Republicana.

In a written statement, they say Sánchez is "well aware" of his "dishonest concessions" that were published "late in the night and taking the advantage of a historic day for Spain's parliamentary monarchy" with the only goal of "hiding" the requests by pro-independence forces over "the needs" of the rest of Spain. The conservatives refer to Princess Leonor swearing allegiance to the Spanish Constitution after reaching the age of majority (18 years) on Tuesday.

 

The PP believes the agreement between ERC and the Socialists "openly" recognizes that Spaniards will pay the price requested by pro-independence forces to back Pedro Sánchez, whose only goal was to "buy time as the PM with the money and the equality of all Spaniards."

This "humiliation," the conservatives added, will be faced by the party led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo.

Post-election negotiations  

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

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

The proposed amnesty would allow pro-independence leaders such as Carles Puigdemont to return.