Adviser to the European Union's Supreme Court, Dean Spielmann, stated that the Spanish amnesty law for participants in the Catalan separatist movement does not contradict EU law and is part of a political reconciliation process. This decision became a significant support for Pedro Sánchez's government, which relied on the law to retain power. This is reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
Spielmann's recommendation, which EU judges usually take into account, effectively legitimizes the Spanish amnesty, adopted by parliament last year. The law was the result of agreements between Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's Socialist Party and Catalan separatist forces – these very votes allowed Sánchez to form a government in 2023, despite resistance from the conservative opposition.
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The amnesty covers more than 300 people involved in the Catalan separatist movement since 2011, including events surrounding the 2017 referendum.
It appears to have been adopted in a genuine context of political and social reconciliation and is not a self-amnesty
Spanish Justice Minister Félix Bolaños called the prosecutor's conclusions a confirmation of the law's compliance with EU norms: "We are very pleased with the Attorney General's conclusions, as he states that the amnesty law complies with European law."
Spielmann also emphasized that applying the amnesty to embezzlement cases does not contradict European law. This could help former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who is in exile in Belgium.
Despite this, the Spanish judge in his case insists that the amnesty does not cover charges of embezzling about 5 million euros spent on organizing the illegal referendum.
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Puigdemont, who denies the charges, has already welcomed Spielmann's recommendation, stating that it exposed a "strategy of delay and manipulation" aimed at blocking the law's effect. His party, Junts, recently withdrew its support for Sánchez's government, accusing it of delaying the implementation of the amnesty, which further complicated the work of the left-wing coalition in parliament.
Recall
In June, the Constitutional Court of Spain confirmed the legality of the 2017 amnesty for Catalan separatists. This decision allowed Pedro Sánchez to retain the post of prime minister.