Lower House Passes Catalan Amnesty Bill

The Congress of Deputies, the lower chamber of Spain's parliament, passed legislationgranting an amnesty to those involved in the October 2017 illegal Catalan independence referendum. The amnesty remains extremely controversial within Catalonia and Spain. Opponents have argued the legislation goes against the rule of law and will embolden separatist parties, with mass protests across the country having taken place to oppose the plan. Proponents in gov't argue that the amenesty is needed to close a painful chapter in recent Spanish history and allow both sides to move forward.

• The bill passed by a margin of 178-172, with PM Pedro Sanchez's centre-left Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and its leftist allies reliant on regionalist parties, including the pro-Catalan independence Junts.
• The legislation will not come into force immediately. The Senate, where the conservative Popular Party (PP) holds a majority, will likely vote the bill down. It will then return to the Congress of Deputies for a final vote in the late spring or early summer.
• The passage of the legislation comes just a day after Catalan regional President Pere Aragones confirmed snap elections to take place on 12 May following the rejection of the Catalan budget in the autonomous community's parliament.