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Spanish opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo has criticised acting prime minister Pedro Sánchez for considering an amnesty for Catalan separatists, as lawmakers prepared for a vote expected to confirm that the conservatives are unable to form a government.
In a speech to lawmakers on Tuesday, Feijóo, who heads the centre-right People’s party, accused the Socialist leader of putting “personal interests” ahead of the country.
Feijóo said it was “neither legally nor ethically acceptable” to grant a controversial amnesty sought by Catalan separatists, covering leaders and activists punished over a failed 2017 push for independence, in return for their support in parliament.
His remarks came in the most crucial week in parliament since an inconclusive July general election, which left both main parties short of the majority needed to take office.
The weeks of political limbo that followed have exacerbated Spain’s deep political divisions and handed a central role to small and sometimes awkward regional parties whose votes will be decisive in the parliamentary arithmetic.
Feijóo’s PP won the most seats in the election and was asked by King Felipe to make the first attempt at forming a government. But to become prime minister he needs an absolute majority of at least 176 parliamentary votes in a first round on Wednesday or a simple majority in Friday’s second round. Even with the backing of the hard-right Vox party he is set to muster only 172.
Sánchez has a path to another term via a potential deal with the hardline Together for Catalonia party, whose founder Carles Puigdemont — who led an unlawful independence referendum then fled Spain to avoid arrest six years ago — would probably benefit from an amnesty deal.
Feijóo told Sánchez that Together, whose seven parliamentary seats have given it a kingmaking role, had also offered its votes to the PP in return for an amnesty.
“I have the votes within my reach to be prime minister, but I do not accept the price I’m being asked to pay,” he said. “I am unable to agree to what you are going to agree to.”
He added: “Puigdemont wants a prime minister who will be an ally in his personal and partisan endeavours.”
Sánchez sat listening to Feijóo’s speech but offered no official response. He instead delegated the task to a little-known former Socialist mayor, who was ousted after elections this year by a PP-Vox coalition.
If, as expected, Feijóo fails in this week’s votes, the initiative will switch to Sánchez, head of a Socialist-led caretaker administration, who will have two months to make his own bid for power, which he could launch as early as mid-October.
Analysts said such a deal would create an unstable government and heighten the anger of conservatives, who campaigned against him in the general election for pursuing power without principle.
If Sánchez cannot cobble together enough votes for another term, Spain would head for new elections early next year, replicating the repeat votes of 2015-16 and 2019.
Sánchez has kept his options open by saying little about a possible amnesty, which separatist groups say could cover up to 1,400 people. While some experts insist an amnesty would be illegal, the Socialist leader has said he wants to defuse the conflict over Catalonia’s status and will act within the constitution.
Lucía Méndez, a leading Spanish columnist, said Feijóo, who took over the PP last year, no longer had a clear strategy. “He came to Madrid with a plan to govern. He didn’t have a plan B in case it turned out badly, and it turned out badly.”
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