Esquerra and Junts negotiate in extremis to tweak the Amnesty law

Last-minute negotiations were a common theme in the past legislature between the PSOE and ERC.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
22 January 2024 Monday 10:29
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Esquerra and Junts negotiate in extremis to tweak the Amnesty law

Last-minute negotiations were a common theme in the past legislature between the PSOE and ERC. Junts has been added for this one. The Amnesty law is no exception. The independentists are in contact to try to find a point of consensus between the amendments that were presented separately by republicans and post-convergents. The firmness of the socialists obliges them, since the PSOE remains firm and a priori is not prepared to retouch the text, beyond technical considerations.

The two pro-independence parties continue to adjust their proposals, with discrepancies in the middle. The representatives of the two formations maintain open negotiations to present transactional amendments in the Justice committee of the Congress of Deputies convened for Tuesday with the new text with the partial amendments incorporated.

The commission starts at 11.30 a.m. and will debate and vote on the new text of the amnesty with the eight amendments agreed between the PSOE, Sumar, ERC and Bildu. Together, despite collaborating with the drafting of these changes, he ultimately did not want to sign them. A position that was reiterated in last week's presentation procedure, when the post-convergents endorsed the joint amendments.

For now, the Socialists have been waiting for the last-minute negotiations to try to incorporate new corrections. They have made it very clear that the only amendments they will vote on are those previously agreed upon. Both Junts and ERC want to reach a consensus to convince the PSOE - "the task of seducing to convince them is up to others", said the socialist spokesperson Esther Peña yesterday - and that, for example, all causes are included among the amnesties of terrorism linked to the process, without exceptions. In the current text, those convicted of this type of crime by final sentence are left out. A wording agreed between the PSOE and Junts in November, in which the republicans see aspects that could be improved.

ERC and Junts are looking for a consensus in the added time so that the law leaves the immediate effects well bound once it enters into force to ensure that no judge or court can leave the application of the rule in abeyance. Those of Carles Puigdemont and those of Oriol Junqueras are also pushing as hard as possible to make it clear that once it has come into force, both state and European search warrants and any precautionary measures will be lifted. This would allow him to return to Spain once the law is published.

Today's committee promises last-minute deals.