EMBATTLED prime minister Pedro Sanchez has been dealt another hefty blow after the Catalan separatists he relied on to pass legislation in Congress unanimously decided to break ties with his left-wing government.
The national executive of Junts per Catalunya, the conservative, pro-independence party headed by exiled former regional president Carles Puigdemont, made the decision following a three-and-a-half hour meeting on Monday in Perpignan.
After an inconclusive national election in July 2023, Sanchez turned to the separatists to source the votes he needed to become prime minister.
As part of the deal, Sanchez agreed to implement a host of measures, including a controversial amnesty law designed to quash criminal charges against those involved in the Catalan independence push in 2017, including Puigdemont.
But Junts have accused Sanchez of reneging on his word, with Puigdemont slamming the agreement as a ‘broken deal’.
Puigdemont, who had been charged with rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds after leading the independence movement, was expected to become the highest-profile beneficiary of the amnesty pact, which was fiercely criticised by the conservative PP and far-right Vox.
But a court ruling last year judged that the amnesty did not apply to the charge of embezzlement of public funds, and as such an arrest warrant against the Junts leader, who since 2017 has lived in exile in Belgium, remains active.
Speaking at a press conference to announce the party’s decision, Puigdemont also criticised the government for failing to get Catalan recognised as an official EU language – a move that has been blocked by European allies fearful of additional costs related to translation and interpretation.
He said his party would now ‘take a role as part of the opposition’ because ‘a deal cannot go through if agreements are not achieved’.
“Unlike other parties, I insist that Junts is not open to continuing to help a government that does not support Catalunya. Not this or any other government. Our political project is not based on maintaining stability in Spain. If it works for Catalunya, let’s talk about it. If not, goodbye,” he added.
“The Spanish government will not have its investiture majority, it will not have the possibility to rule, it will have the power, but it will not be able to enforce it.”
The move will leave Sanchez’s minority government, which has been unable to approve a budget since the start of his term, incapable of passing key legislation.
In response, Catalan president Salvador Illa, a key Sanchez ally, called on Junts to act with ‘common sense’ and prioritise the interests of Catalunya.
“The Spanish economy is the fastest-growing in Europe, and the Sanchez government is following through on its promises to other parties. Should we block that?” he said.
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