SPAIN: Congress Approves Catalan Amnesty Law

The Spanish Congress of Deputies has approved the controversial amnesty law that will see those involved in the illegal 2017 Catalan independence referendum pardoned and allowed to return to Spain and political life. The measure remains extremely controversial, with opponents arguing that it will only embolden separatist movements across the country, and that it may well be unconstitutional. Indeed, president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso from the centre-right Popular Party (PP) has already launched an appeal to the Constitutional Court on behalf of five PP-run autonomous communities arguing against the law.

• Passage of the amnesty law is one of the key demands of the pro-Catalan indpendence Junts party, on which PM Pedro Sanchez's left-leaning gov't is reliant for support in the Congress. 
• The vote required an absolute majority of 176 in the Congress to pass in order to override the veto imposed on the legislation in the PP-controlled Senate. The vote passed with the support of all governing parties - PSOE, Sumar, Podemos, ERC, EH Bildu, PNV, Junts and BNG - while opponents on the right - Vox, PP, UPN and Canary Coalition - voted against.