Treva i Pau Collective, 20 November 2023
Image : Dani Duch
These days could be decisive in determining the course of the country’s immediate future. The crucial event is the investiture, and the key word is amnesty. There is no agreement among jurists or politicians on the legality of an amnesty or its timeliness. Without wishing to make amends to anyone, we offer the opinion of a group that has no interest other than to contribute to the smooth running of the country.
In general terms, amnesty is not in keeping with our legal system and is difficult to fit into democratic practice, since, if it is not carefully designed, it can have undesirable legal consequences and can, moreover, be poorly received by the public. None of this makes it illegal, but it does indicate that it can only be contemplated as an exceptional measure, reserved for resolving extraordinary situations, and that its wording must be carefully considered.
We are in an extraordinary situation. We sense that, after the progress made during the previous legislature, a well-designed amnesty can offer a way out of the conflicts created by the ‘procés’. Let us admit, so as not to get lost in the mists of history, that these conflicts are the result of both the irresponsible voting of the so-called disconnection laws and the central government’s response to the call for an illegal referendum. We believe that an amnesty would help to heal the wounds, so that we all put our efforts into tackling the problems, not only in Catalonia, but also in the rest of Spain.
The pretense of passing the bill before each vote is typical of hucksters.
The amnesty is a measure of grace, and therefore does not imply a judgement on the previous actions of some or others, nor does it imply that the same actions in different circumstances should be exempt from blame. Nor does it imply disavowal of the Supreme Court’s ruling, nor would it bless a repetition of the events of 2017.
But, in our opinion, its application is fully justified only if, while offering a way out to those accused of the ‘procés’, they agree to share power with the citizens of the rest of Spain and to strive to perfect the autonomous state to turn it into a true federal state. If they subscribe to a political commitment with a clear legislative development that goes beyond mere declarations.
In our opinion, in this endeavour they would have the support of the majority of Catalans, and with it they would give Catalonia what she needs, a good government, which we have lacked until now, largely because the actions of those in power have been subordinated to the demands of the struggle for independence.
https://www.lavanguardia.com/opinion/20231120/9390121/amnistia-posible.html
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