© EFE 2024. Republishing or redistribution of the content of this EFE Service, in whole or in part, is expressly prohibited.
Written by Maria Lopez
MADRID, February 12 (EFE) – The Spanish People’s Party on Monday granted a conditional amnesty to Catalan separatists in a bid to calm the unrest caused by the conservative group’s leader Alberto Nuñez Feijo. He made it clear that he was ready.
Last year, the Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) pardoned Catalan political leaders and activists charged with sedition over the unauthorized 2017 independence referendum, in a bid to secure support for regional and separatist parties in the coalition government. This caused controversy.
The so-called amnesty sparked mass protests in Spain, with right-wing groups particularly furious at Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The PP accused the PSOE of orchestrating a campaign to oust Feijot in collaboration with the far-right Vox.
More than a dozen media outlets, including EFE, cited PP sources saying that the PP leadership briefly considered the pardon before rejecting it, and that Mr. Feijo was granted a pardon in Catalonia, albeit with multiple conditions: accountability and renunciation to the judiciary. It reported that it was in favor of issuing amnesty to separatists. referendum and unilateralism.
Mr. Feijo did not deny these reports, but on Sunday insisted that his party was opposed to amnesty and stressed that the conditions for amnesty do not exist. Having said that, I say no to any pardon because I have not been given any conditions for any pardon. ”
However, the fact that the PP met with the hard-line pro-independence Juntz leadership of Catalonia to consider an amnesty law, and that Feijó supports reconciliation with the separatists, is contrary to the PP’s public position. ing.
Mr Feige said at several demonstrations against the amnesty law that everyone charged in the wake of the unrecognized independence referendum should be tried and sentenced.
Sources Efe spoke to said party leaders were concerned about the contradictions because they were difficult to justify to voters.
It has also been criticized both by Vox, which denies any connection between the Catalan independence movement and the PP, and by leftists, who accuse Feijo of lying and withholding information.
Furthermore, in a letter to members of the House of Representatives, former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont stated that if he had supported Feiju instead of Sánchez as prime minister, he would not have been investigated for high treason or terrorism. The controversy came to light after he claimed to be deaf.
The PP national leadership is trying to keep a lid on the controversy. Miguel Tellado, the party’s parliamentary spokesperson, said that Feiju’s position on amnesty had been taken out of context and that “there was a certain relationship between the party and the Catalan independence movement during the Catalan independence movement. “There is an organized campaign by certain media outlets to try to show that.” “No such negotiations have taken place and are not currently taking place.”
Additionally, Terrado denounced a “smear campaign by PSOE” and accused Vox of “running a campaign to prevent PP from succeeding.”
Several regional leaders, including the presidents of the Andalusian Military Government, the Community of Madrid and the Community of Valencia, Juanma Moreno, Isabel Díaz Ayuso and Carlos Massón, expressed support for Feijo, pointing out that the PP leader had always refused. pardon and pardon.
They claim that it was Pedro Sánchez who succumbed to the “blackmail” of Juntz party leader Carles Puigdemont to secure a second term as prime minister.
This closure did not prevent internal party disagreements over how to deal with Juntz and the Catalan separatists from becoming public.
As announced by EFE and indicated by PP sources, Mr. Feijot is in favor of maintaining relations with Mr. Jantz in order to agree on political initiatives.
But just talking to Jantz creates a divide. After July’s elections, the PP initially sought to rally support to form a government by winning the most votes in opinion polls, but has refused to make details of its discussions public.
This dialogue was publicly opposed by Catalan PP leader Alejandro Fernández, and Feijo ultimately reversed his decision to include ZXCat in the negotiation round after Puigdemont publicly asked for amnesty.