Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain is one step closer to forming a government as he secures the support of the Catalan separatist party Junts, adding to his existing coalition with the left-wing party Sumar and previous agreement with the Catalan separatist party ERC.

Sánchez one step closer to forming a government

In Spain, the formation of a government is becoming closer as Prime Minister Sánchez has reached an agreement with the Catalan separatists, securing the support of another party for his minority coalition.

It depended on several small parties, but now acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has gradually gathered enough support to form a government. The Socialist Party PSOE has reached an agreement with the Catalan separatist party Junts. A delicate condition for their cooperation is amnesty for convicted separatists.

After the parliamentary election in July, the Socialists formed a coalition with the left-wing party Sumar. However, Sánchez relies on the support of other smaller parties for confirmation in office. The PSOE had already reached an agreement with the Catalan separatist party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) at the beginning of November.

Another agreement is still pending, namely with the Basque nationalist party PNV. The newspaper “El Pais” reports that negotiations are at an advanced stage and that an agreement is about to be signed.

Insufficient support for conservatives

Sánchez has been in office since 2018 and has led a minority government since 2020. The previous election led to unclear majority ratios in the Spanish Parliament. Although the conservative PP became the largest party, opposition leader Alberto Nuñez Feijóo was initially tasked with forming a government by King Felipe VI. However, Feijóo failed to gather sufficient support. As a result, King Felipe assigned Sánchez with forming a government in early October. Amnesty for separatists is controversial

If Sánchez fails to achieve a majority in parliament by November 27th, new elections will automatically be held in Spain in mid-January.

The proposed amnesty law is highly controversial in Spain and has already sparked intense protests, particularly in the capital Madrid. The conservative opposition, the far-right party Vox, and members of the Spanish judiciary accused Sánchez of corruption and a departure from the rule of law.

Amnesty for separatists is controversial

If Sánchez fails to achieve a majority in parliament by November 27th, new elections will automatically be held in Spain in mid-January.

The proposed amnesty law is highly controversial in Spain and has already sparked intense protests, particularly in the capital Madrid. The conservative opposition, the far-right party Vox, and members of the Spanish judiciary accused Sánchez of corruption and a departure from the rule of law.

Puigdemont would be the most prominent beneficiary

The proposed amnesty would also benefit Carles Puigdemont, the former head of the Catalan government. The Junts politician declared Catalonia independent in 2017 following a controversial referendum. The central government accused him of rebellion and misappropriation of public funds. The Constitutional Court viewed the actions of the Catalan leader as a violation of the constitution.

At that time, the Catalan regional government was stripped of its powers by the central government, new elections were ordered, and Puigdemont was wanted. He then fled abroad, including to Germany. Sánchez had pledged at the time to bring Puigdemont to court.