The possibility of an imminent agreement between Junts per Catalunya and the PSOE for the investiture of Pedro Sánchez dissipated yesterday at the same time as the judges and the Civil Guard stepped on the accelerator with the pending cases affecting independence. The two formations continue to negotiate and exchange documents and proposals, but they are stuck on the scope of the amnesty and the wording of the article, a very important issue for those of Carles Puigdemont, who predict that "days and hours of pressure" to reach an agreement with the socialists.
The truth is that it is difficult to backtrack after Monday's photo of the former president with Santos Cerdán, number three of the Socialists and Sánchez's most trusted person, but an understanding that already seemed to be on the way could now be delayed for hours or days.
In the talks, which are of a technical nature, lawyers consulted by the two negotiating teams participate once again. So, in the political arena it is not possible to advance, while the National Court yesterday confirmed the opening of an oral trial for a crime of terrorism to the 12 members of the defense committees of the republic (CDR) prosecuted in Operation Judas. In turn, the armed institute pointed out in a report delivered to the judge who instructs the National Court in the Democratic Tsunami case the secretary general of Esquerra as the mastermind of the protests and "political coordinator". These are two causes that, a priori, would be included in the current text of the Amnesty law.
Also, yesterday a protest was called by the unions of the Civil Guard and the National Police Force SUP and AUGC in Barcelona for next Friday to protest against the agreement of the PSOE with ERC, and for the declaration of 45 members of the State Security Forces and Bodies investigated for the action on 1-O.
Yesterday morning the contacts between JxCat and the PSOE intensified in Brussels, although there was no face-to-face meeting. The venue chosen was the headquarters of the European Parliament in the Belgian capital, where Puigdemont held working meetings with the general secretary of the formation, Jordi Turull, and the leader of Together in Madrid, Míriam Nogueras. Also in the same building was the organizing secretary of the Socialists, Cerdán, who arrived in Brussels on Thursday.
Sources with knowledge of the negotiation assured that the discussions "are very lively", but that they are technically very complex and referred again to the "maximum discretion" for them to flourish. "The texts are very advanced, but not closed, with very complex wording", both in the legal and political spheres, added these sources, who made it clear that "we are not talking about names". No one dares to set deadlines. "It can close today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or Tuesday, we'll see," said another source.
The only thing that is clear for now is that the two parties have the will to reach an agreement, but some reject the terms that had been planned. There is time until November 27.
Sources consulted in the post-convergence formation detail that the agreement a few days ago seemed to be on track with the PSOE's rush to reach the end of next week with the investiture debate already passed and with Sánchez re-elected as president, on the occasion of the congress of European social democrats, which takes place in Malaga from 9 to 11 November. That Saturday the acting president of the Central Government plans to participate in a rally. Realizing that everything was close to closing, despite the fringes that were still pending, on Monday the meeting with Cerdán took place in the Eurochamber and the first photo of Puigdemont with the Socialists, in which the ex-president was rehabilitated as political interlocutor, as he requested.
For its part, Junts convened the permanent management in Brussels on Thursday, a reduced body in which there are the main leaders of the party and all sectors are represented, with the expectation of giving the final approval to the agreement that same day . However, according to the sources consulted, Junts detected on Wednesday night that the causes that affect pro-independence and that they understand as collateral to the process could be left out of the amnesty, as would be the case for example of the Voloh . This case, in addition, has several parts in the court of inquiry number 1 of Barcelona. There is also the doubt of the scope of the measure for secret pieces, in which it is not known which crimes are being investigated or who the defendants are. Another case that could be in these same circumstances is that of former interior minister Miquel Buch, convicted a few weeks ago for facilitating an escort to Puigdemont, although Oriol Junqueras, president of ERC, assured in a radio interview which was included in the amnesty without any doubt.
In the post-convergent ranks, they hoped to unblock the impediments on Thursday and bring positions closer together, but in the end it was not possible and yesterday Turull pointed out in an internal message to the members of Junts management that "hours and days of great pressure are coming" while asking calm. The post-convergence leader justified the delay in wanting to include as many of those affected as possible in the Amnesty law. "We will not leave any soldier behind," said Turull, who also criticized the Republicans' agreement, especially in relation to the transfer of Rodalies. In addition, he warned that they will not do "an amnesty for VIPs". "There are many people here who have played it, who have not given up", he added.
