The president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, has again deviated from the Socialist (PSOE) party line and could become the first autonomous community president from the party that governs Spain to present an appeal against the amnesty law to the Constitutional Court, a step that all the communities governed by the People's Party (PP) already plan to do, as Madrid leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso stated. García-Page announced his intention this Friday during the celebration of the Day of the Region. The manchego president explained that he has requested a report from the Consultative Council of his autonomous community to decide whether he will submit an appeal to the Constitutional Court against the law approved this Thursday in Congress.
"The whole of Spain was awaiting a decision yesterday. My disagreement is not just constitutional, but fundamental. Forgiveness is not something that one make deals on, it is given or not given, it is not given in exchange for anything, let alone in exchange for blackmail", he asserted in his speech to mark the Castilla-La Mancha festive day, which he celebrated in Toledo. Thus, García Page becomes the first of the Socialist "regional barons" who is willing to challenge the party and take the law to court.
An "attack on the concept of equality"
The president of Castilla-La Mancha specified that the report he will request this week from the Consultative Council is intended to provide information on the possibilities that this community has to defend itself in the Constitutional Court from what he considers "an attack on the concept of equality". For this reason, he explained, the request is made "with the desire and confidence that the Consultative Council will give us free rein to defend ourselves in the Constitutional Court". This report is mandatory, according to the law, as the method for ascertaining how the community must proceed correctly with respect to such an "aggression" as Page denounces. "This would be my wish and I understand that it must be the wish of the vast majority", said the Socialist leader, adding that his personal opinion on the amnesty process is "very well known", as is his political view, and that beyond the constitutional argument he has "an opposition of substance". Thus, the president made very clear his feelings on the issue: "I am very clear that my discrepancy is a discrepancy that will continue, regardless of the action of the justice", he said.
Defending the interests of "this land"
As well, Page emphasized that as president, he has the obligation and the task of "looking carefully at any law", from another autonomous community or at Spanish level, to see whether "any provision affects the interests of this region and, in particular, our direct interests and our competences." And he added: "In case anyone has any doubts about whether I care more about my political organization or any other type of electoral interest, I have sworn to defend the interests of this land and for me this oath is not just protocol. I wish everyone in this country would do that, comply with what they promise. It is the essence of living in harmony, and living in harmony is the opposite of any kind of blackmail," said García Page.
Criticism of the amnesty and Catalan independentism
Emiliano García-Page has repeatedly positioned himself in public against the amnesty law from the very beginning, and has shared the theses of other historical Socialist leaders, such as former PM Felipe González. His criticism of the law has been constant, a law that he considers "brings the Spanish Constitution to its knees", as he assured in an interview with El Mundo, and he has also fired very harsh words at Together for Catalonia, whom he has compared to the extreme right of Vox, and against Carles Puigdemont, whom he has repeatedly attacked. Considered one of the leading "barons" of the PSOE, García-Page has also publicly criticized Pedro Sánchez for the pacts he reached with the pro-independence parties, and last November, he was one of the three Socialist leaders of autonomous communities who did not attend Pedro Sánchez's investiture in the Congress of Deputies.