It's official. The Spanish Socialist party (PSOE) and Together for Catalonia (Junts) have signed an agreement to allow Pedro Sánchez the crucial votes from the Catalan party in his candidacy to become prime minister of a new Spanish government. The deal includes an agreement to "open a new phase" and negotiate on the self-determination of Catalonia, also addressing the transfer of 100% of taxes collected in Catalonia to the Catalan government and including the concept of 'lawfare' in an amnesty law. "With regard to the field of national recognition, Junts will propose the holding of a self-determination referendum on the political future of Catalonia as permitted under Article 92 of the Constitution", the text states, while "the PSOE will defend the broad development, through the appropriate legal mechanisms, of the 2006 Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia, as well as the full deployment of and respect for the institutions of self-government and the institutional, cultural and linguistic uniqueness of Catalonia".
The document includes a commitment by the Socialists to promote an amnesty law that will include both leaders and ordinary citizens who "before and after" the 9-N consultation of 2014 and the 1-O referendum of 2017 "were the object of judicial decisions or processes linked to these events". The text mentions the concept of lawfare, the discussion of which over the last few days has delayed the Socialists in reaching a definitive agreement with Carles Puigdemont's party. "The conclusions of investigative committees that will be set up in the next legislature will be taken into account in the application of the amnesty law to the extent that it could give coverage to situations embodied in the concept of 'lawfare' or the judicialization of politics, with the consequences that, where appropriate, it may lead to actions of relating to responsibility or legislative changes". As ElNacional.cat advanced yesterday, the signing was carried out this morning by the general secretary of Junts, Jordi Turull, and the secretary of organization of the PSOE, Santos Cerdán.
International verifier
Carles Puigdemont's party has also managed to include the figure of the verifier in its agreement with the PSOE. The document recalls that there are "profound discrepancies on the final form of resolution of the conflict" and "mutual mistrust", so it is agreed to include a "mechanism between the two organizations, international, that has the functions of accompanying, verifying and carrying out follow-up of the entire negotiation process and of the agreements" between the two parties.
'Lawfare', inside the amnesty law
The document includes a commitment by the Socialists to promote an amnesty law that will include both those in leadership and ordinary citizens who "before and after" Catalonia's 2014 independence consultation ("9-N") and the 2017 independence referendum ("1-O") have been "subject to decisions or legal proceedings linked to these events". The text mentions the concept of 'lawfare', the subject of disagreement during recent days which delayed the Socialists reaching a definitive agreement with Carles Puigdemont's party till now.
"The conclusions of investigative committees that will be set up in the next legislature will be taken into account in the application of the amnesty law to the extent that it could give coverage to situations embodied in the concept of 'lawfare' or the judicialization of politics, with the consequences that, where appropriate, it may lead to actions of relating to responsibility or legislative changes", the pact sealed between the two parties specifies.
Financing of Catalonia
As well, the text signed by Jordi Turull and Santos Cerdán also indicates that the two parties will address during the next legislature the financing of Catalonia. "Junts will initially propose a modification of the LOFCA [autonomous community financing law] that establishes an exception clause for Catalonia recognizing the singularity in which the institutional system of the Generalitat of Catalonia is organized and that facilitates the transfer of 100% of all taxes paid to Catalonia". The document, however, also states that the PSOE "will be committed to measures that allow financial autonomy and access to the Catalan market, as well as a unique dialogue on the impact of the current financing model" for Catalonia. What's more, the text also agrees to address the "essential elements of a plan to facilitate and promote the return to Catalonia of the headquarters of companies that have moved their location to other territories" due to the independence process.