Approximately 170,000 people flooded into Spain's capital city of Madrid on Saturday to protest the controversial Catalan amnesty law that the country's Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez pushed through in a bid to stay in power. Sanchez agreed to the amnesty in exchange for the political backing of Catalan and Basque nationalist parties.
The law will apparently benefit about 400 people involved in the independence bid that came to a head in 2017. The independence referendum was declared illegal by the courts and resulted in Spain's worst political crisis in decades. The amnesty would be Spain's largest since the 1977 blanket amnesty for crimes committed during the Francisco Franco dictatorship and the first approved in the European Union since 1991, according to Spain's national research council.
The demonstration, the latest in a series of protests in cities across the country against the amnesty, took place two days after Sanchez won a four-year term with the backing of Catalan and Basque nationalist parties in return for agreeing to the law. The leaders of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, and of Vox, Santiago Abascal, joined the protest by hundreds of thousands of people in the centre of Madrid, bringing the capital to a standstill.
The reason the law is so controversial is because it relates to the divisive issue of Catalan independence, particularly the illegal referendums of 2014 and 2017. The law raises legal and constitutional concerns, as it may undermine the rule of law by pardoning actions deemed illegal by Spain's constitutional court. This has led to a split in public opinion and a political divide, with strong opposition from right-wing and far-right parties. The law also challenges national unity, potentially encouraging separatist movements in other regions. Officially titled the "organic amnesty law for institutional, political and social normalisation in Catalonia," the law is especially notable for potentially allowing Puigdemont, the leader of the Junts Per Catalunya party and a staunch separatist, to return from exile. The law's constitutionality has sparked intense debate across Spain and faces strong opposition from the public and political entities like the right-wing People's Party and the far-right Vox party.
Spain has been experiencing significant political turmoil following inconclusive general elections in July. In an effort to retain power, Sa'nchez has negotiated with various regional parties, leading to controversial decisions - such as the amnesty law.
According to a report by Al Jazeera, "The independence referendum was declared illegal by the courts and resulted in Spain's worst political crisis for decades."
And according to CNBC, "Sanchez, who helms the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), won 179 votes in favor, with 171 against and no abstentions. It ends a four-month political deadlock following inconclusive general elections in July, when Feijóo's People's Party won a 136 majority of seats, while the Socialists clinched 121. Sanchez himself had called for the vote after his party hemorrhaged losses in regional and municipal elections in late May."
The public is furious because the law is not universally supported and many see it as an unjust concession to separatists, potentially rewarding illegal actions. This division is mirrored in the political arena, with parties like the right-wing People's Party and the far-right Vox strongly opposing the law.
Opponents of the law argue that it could weaken the sense of national unity in Spain. They fear it may embolden separatist movements not just in Catalonia but in other regions as well, potentially leading to further fragmentation and instability. Critics say the amnesty is a self-serving measure to allow Sanchez to remain in power and accuse him of trampling on the rule of law.
Indeed, this is already happening and of course the issue has been a point of contention for many years already. Now the question is whether the protests will have any effect on Sa'nchez and whether he decides to back down in the face of such backlash.
Meanwhile, the protestors will continue to demonstrate until their voices are heard.
