Pedro Sanchez may come to regret passing Spain’s amnesty law

When has any nation’s government amnestied hundreds of people facing criminal charges in return for the votes that allow it to stay in office? That’s what Spain’s government has just done. After last July’s general election, Pedro Sánchez, the incumbent left-wing prime minister, discovered that he needed the 14 votes of two Catalan separatist parties in order to cling onto power. The price of those 14 votes? A general amnesty for several hundred people accused of criminal activities during Catalonia’s secession push, including 2017’s illegal declaration of independence.

The amnesty bill, fast-tracked through parliament, was passed yesterday after a spectacularly acrimonious debate: 177 votes in favour and 172 against. The socialist government claims that the amnesty will draw a line under a decade of conflict in Catalonia, bringing reconciliation and helping to restore normality. The alternative – a steady flow of convictions – would have prolonged division and bitterness in the troubled region.