Controversial deal

Amnesty for Catalan separatists in force

Carles Puigdemont, the active separatist, could return to Spain.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Matthieu RONDEL)

The controversial amnesty for Catalan separatists has come into force. The regulation, which was introduced as part of a political deal by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, could have far-reaching consequences.

The "Law for institutional, political and social normalization in Catalonia" was published in the Spanish Official Gazette on Tuesday. This means that separatists who had fled abroad to escape Spanish justice, above all the former head of the regional government Carles Puigdemont, can hope to return home without having to fear arrest there.

Arrest warrants currently still valid
However, the judiciary would first have to lift arrest warrants, which could still take some time. The judge responsible at the Supreme Court in Madrid, Pablo Llarena, announced in an initial reaction that the arrest warrants he issued against Puigdemont and three other separatist politicians at the beginning of 2023 would be upheld for the time being. Llarena had given the public prosecutor's office and the lawyers of those affected five days to submit a statement regarding the "applicability" of the new amnesty law before deciding whether to revoke the arrest warrants, the Supreme Court announced.

The spokesperson for the left-wing government, Pilar Alegría, told journalists: "Parliament has done its job, the government has done its job, the law has been passed and is now in force, so it's up to the judges to implement it."

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had promised the amnesty and other concessions to the "Catalanistas" in order to secure the votes of two separatist parties for his re-election in November. Separatist leader Puigdemont's liberal Junts and the left-wing ERC are both still seeking Catalonia's secession from Spain. However, Sánchez wants to prevent this and defuse the conflict through dialog.

Fierce protests against amnesty
In recent months, the amnesty plans have caused a great deal of resentment in the EU's fourth-largest economy. There were protests with thousands of participants. The adoption of the amnesty law in parliament at the end of May was preceded by heated debates and several votes in both houses of parliament. Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijoó from the conservative People's Party (PP) described the measure as a "national disgrace" and an "international embarrassment". He accused Sánchez of political "corruption", as he had "bought" his re-election with the amnesty.

Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijo in parliament

(Bild: AP/Bernat Armangue)

Puigdemont is still in exile
The amnesty applies to anyone who has come into conflict with the law in connection with the independence efforts since 2012. Only a few crimes such as terrorism are excluded. The 400 or so beneficiaries include Puigdemont, under whose aegis Catalonia was plunged into chaos following an illegal independence referendum and a decision to secede from Spain in the fall of 2017. The conservative central government at the time placed the region under forced administration. Puigdemont was able to flee with some of his supporters and has been living in exile in Belgium ever since.