The Spanish Socialist Party and Catalan separatist party, Junts per Catalunya, have reached an agreement, according to sources close to the negotiations on Thursday.
The deal ensures that the right-wing separatist party, led by Carles Puigdemont, will back the incoming Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez.
In return, the Socialists will support a law granting amnesty to Catalan separatists for their involvement in the failed secession attempt of Catalonia in 2017.
"This isn't just an installation agreement; it's a legislative pact," noted Santos Cerdán, a senior leader in the Spanish Socialist Party who negotiated the deal on behalf of Sánchez.
Speaking to the media in Brussels, he explained that the agreement was made to secure the government's stability throughout the four-year legislative term.
No further details regarding the content of the agreement were given by the source, but more detais are expected to emerge in Brussels. Puigdemont has resided in Belgium after escaping Spanish legal proceedings in 2017.
Catalan Junts politicians Laura Borras, Jordi Turull, Catalan leader in exile Carles Puigdemont and Myriam Nogueras pictured during a press conference regarding the negotiations to form a Spanish Government, 08 November 2023 in Brussels. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
The support of Puigdemont’s seven members are critical to Sánchez, who came second in the legislative elections of 23 July, for him to secure a parliamentary majority and retain power.
The proposed law of amnesty for the Catalan separatists has sparked outrage amongst the Spanish right and far-right, accusing Sánchez of being ready to do anything to hold onto power.
Far-right demonstrators clashed with police in Madrid last night, with 39 injured, of which 30 were police officers. Members of the media, including a CNN crew, were harassed. Certain demonstrators were openly doing roman salutes, a fascist gesture, and chanted support for the former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.
