That the ‘procés’ amnesty is now the political ‘hit’ of the moment has not only been evident in Congress with the failed investiture of Alberto Núñez Feijóo. It will also mark the general policy debate in Catalonia that will end on Friday with the vote on the resolutions presented by the political parties. ERC, Junts, the CUP and the Comuns have presented texts – each one their own – for the Catalan Chamber to demand the amnesty and add pressure to the PSOE already Pedro Sanchez.
Although they have not been able to agree on a joint initiative – there is time until this Thursday – it is taken for granted that at least one of the resolutions will succeed. The big unknown is what the PSC will do when it’s time to vote on Friday. He has always rejected this amnesty, but now it is not so easy because Sánchez’s re-election is at stake.
The resolutions presented on the exoneration of the causes of the ‘procés’ are mere political declarations that have no practical effects or legal effects. In fact, it is not the first time that the Parliament will rule on the amnesty. But now he will do it at the gates of the decisive phase of the negotiation of the independence movement with the PSOE for the investiture of Sánchez, when There are only two months left to avoid a repeat election. The resolutions, although symbolic, will have more echo than ever.
The nuances
Each resolution presented has its own accent. ERC, for example, defends that a law is necessary to “repeal what had been classified as a criminal or administrative offense in relation to the defense of the self-determination of Catalonia.” Along the same lines, Junts wants the Parliament to approve the end of “the judicial route against the independence movement.” The Comuns also defend an amnesty to “definitively close the judicialization of the conflict.”
The CUP is not immune to the debate either, although it tightens the screws a little more and demands to recover the amnesty law proposal that the three pro-independence parties, together with the entities, presented in Congress in 2021. The proposal, which was not admitted for processing by the Congress Board, recognized in its preamble the right to self-determination of Catalonia. With this movement, the ‘cupaires’ seek that ERC and Junts are “coherent and congruent” in the negotiation and do not lower expectations. In addition, they want them to commit to “not cooperating in the stabilization of State institutions” until self-determination is achieved.
The position of the PSC
Now the parties have until Thursday afternoon to agree on a joint text. If they achieve this, the Parliament’s position will have a little more strength. But, It will be noted as another chapter of sovereign disunity. But, be that as it may, some of the resolutions will be approved. Thus, the big question now is what the PSC plans to do, which does not have a comfortable position. Voting in favor would be signing for the first time what they denied in the past and now avoid mentioning, while voting against could complicate the PSOE’s dialogue with the independentists.
The socialists remain silent. The premise on which they pivot is that the negotiation of the investiture is in the hands of the PSOE and the PSC will tread carefully so as not to make any movement that puts it in danger. “We have a great opportunity and we will not do anything to derail it,” they maintain from the party leadership. This Thursday the parliamentary group will meet to study all the resolutions and prepare for the last day of the debate, which will be on Friday. There they will have to shape their decision, which they will seek to smooth out through dialogue and amendments to the texts of the driving groups.
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The only thing that complicates life for the PSC is the resolutions on the amnesty that the sovereigntism has presented. So do those presented against Vox, Cs and the PP. The three parties also seek to try to force a position from the PSC, whom they accuse of act as a “comparsa” for the reactivation of the ‘procés’. In this sense, the popular ones ask to reject “any type of amnesty or general pardon for any group of citizens, regardless of the crime committed,” while Cs frames it directly with 1-O and demands to reject “impunity.” of the crimes that were committed during those “very sad days.”
Referendum
Although it is not as fashionable as the amnesty, the resolutions will also speak again of self-determination and referendum. In this case, the texts presented by ERC, Junts and the CUP will do so. What is striking is that of the Republicans, who once again calls for the need for Catalonia to decide its political future at the polls. However, it avoids setting the period 2023-2027 as the time to negotiate with the State the conditions of this consultation despite the fact that it is what the ‘president’ proposed. Pere Aragones in Tuesday’s session. The Comuns accept what was left pending at the dialogue table with the aim of attracting the support of both independentists and socialists: that it be put to a vote “a new covenant” between Catalonia and Spain.