Pedro Sánchez’s “surrender” to Catalan demands continues to erupt in Spain

2023-11-12 15:45:49

Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched once more this Sunday, called by the right-wing PP and Vox, to protest once morest what they consider “a surrender of Pedro Sánchez”, due to the conditions of the agreement that the premier signed to obtain the 7 votes of the Catalan independence supporters of Juntxs allow him to achieve the investiture and maintain power.

It happens that for half of Spain, that “capitulation” of Sánchez granting amnesties and other prerogatives to the Catalans led by the convicted Carles Puigdemont, is considered as “a rule of law attack”, to which Sánchez agrees for the sole purpose of staying in power, even at the cost of fracturing Spain, a situation that is seen in the streets with the massive right-wing marches once morest that agreement.

This Sunday, tens of thousands of protesters once once more gathered in 52 cities in Spain, at noon, to join in the cry of “no to amnesty”, responding to the call of the Popular Party (PP), the main formation of the right-wing opposition, and the majority option in the last elections, although it was a few seats short of those needed for the investiture.

“We will not be silent until there are elections”stated its leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóothe leader of the PP, in a speech in Madrid. “This mobilization goes far beyond parties”added Feijóo, who accused Sánchez of “agreeing with convicts who attacked the Republic, acting behind the backs of the Spaniards.”

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In Madrid it is estimated that they were regarding 80,000 protesters, who formed a wave of Spanish flags in the central Plaza de la Puerta del Sol and its surroundings, shouting “Pedro Sánchez resignation” and with banners on which you might read “No more regional inequality” o “Sánchez, you break the nation and create tension.”

Amnesties for convicted independentists

Sánchez was second in the elections, he is now guaranteed to remain in the government thanks to the support of various groups and the seven deputies of the Catalan independence party of Carles Puigdemont, main figure of the 2017 secession attempt who fled to Belgium to avoid prosecution.

In exchange for their support, Puigdemont’s party, Together for Catalonia obtains an amnesty law for all pro-independence supporters prosecuted by justice, mainly for the separatist attempt of 2017, as well as the opening of negotiations on, among others, the issue of “recognition of Catalonia as a nation.”

The Spanish right, part of the judiciary, but also some moderate leaders of Sánchez’s Socialist Party, consider that this amnesty measure “goes once morest the principles of equality and territorial unity and the separation of powers.” Among the crowd in Madrid, Laura Díaz Bordonado, a 31-year-old lawyer wrapped in a Spanish flag, admitted that in addition to feeling “Rage or indignation, it is also fear” towards this political alliance. A little further away, Alberto, a 32-year-old teacher who also votes to the right, denounced a pact signed “behind the backs of everyone who is here.”

“They do not accept the results of the polls”

Speaking at the congress of European socialists in Malaga, southern Spain, Sánchez – in power since 2018 – asked the Popular Party on Saturday to “accept the result of the polls and the legitimacy of the government that we are going to form soon.”

The far-right party Vox joined the PP protests on Sunday before taking part in demonstrations outside Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) headquarters across the country. The leader of Vox, Santiago Abascalcalled in Madrid for a “permanent” and “growing” mobilization to avoid the “coup d’état” that he says the agreement between the socialists and the Catalan independentists represents.

The national headquarters of the PSOE in Madrid has been targeted for more than a week of daily demonstrations to a call from organizations close to Vox. These demonstrations have ended several times in clashes between radical activists and police agencies.

AFP/HB

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