Spain's Constitutional Court backs Catalan separatist amnesty
MADRID: Spain's Constitutional Court on Thursday said it had approved an amnesty for Catalan separatists involved in an abortive 2017 independence bid, a victory for the leftist government that staked its survival on the divisive law.
A banned secession referendum and short-lived declaration of independence in the northeastern Catalonia region in 2017 triggered the EU member state's worst political crisis in decades.
Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez agreed to the amnesty in exchange for Catalan separatist parties' support to secure a new term in office after 2023 elections produced a hung parliament.
Lawmakers last year narrowly approved the bill, which the government says has restored calm and political normality to Catalonia after the unrest and polarisation that preceded and followed the referendum.
But it infuriated the Spanish right which accuses Sanchez of flouting the rule of law and pardoning the instigators of a 'coup' to cling to power.
The Constitutional Court announced it had rejected most points of an appeal against the amnesty's constitutionality by the main conservative Popular Party (PP) by six votes to four.
'The amnesty is not forbidden by the constitution, and its adoption, when it responds to an exceptional situation and a legitimate end of public interest, may be constitutionally admissible,' the court said in a statement.
Sanchez welcomed the news, telling reporters in Brussels that Spain was 'closing a political crisis that should never have left politics'.
But PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo insisted from Brussels that the amnesty was 'a corrupt transaction of impunity in exchange for power' and 'an attack against the separation of powers'.
Judges apply the law on a case-by-case basis and dozens of figures from the Catalan independence movement have benefited.
But the amnesty has not applied to separatist figurehead Carles Puigdemont, who led Catalonia's regional administration during the referendum and fled abroad to avoid prosecution.
The Constitutional Court did not state whether embezzlement, a charge that prevents Puigdemont's inclusion in the amnesty, should come under the law.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Malaysia targets 'low-risk' EU status to tackle deforestation rule
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's newly established special committee on the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is examining how countries like Thailand attained a low-risk classification. This status allows them to export forest-based products to the EU with fewer restrictions. Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said the committee includes his ministry, the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry, and the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry. It will coordinate efforts to help Malaysia secure low-risk status for forest-based product exports. "The first step is to review and understand why Malaysia is categorised as standard risk, while countries like Thailand have achieved a low-risk status. "We need to identify the differences and work on improving them. Eventually, we too will attain a low-risk classification. "At present, 30 per cent of our exports are subject to sampling and inspection. "To facilitate exports, we must upgrade from standard risk to low-risk. "Once we achieve low-risk status, our products will enter international markets more easily." He said this after attending the Titiwangsa Umno delegates' meeting. Johari, who chairs the committee, said that to attain low-risk status, Malaysia must align its forest governance, certification systems and monitoring practices with international standards. He added that cooperation from state governments will be crucial, given their role in forest land management. Asked when Malaysia might achieve low-risk status, Johari said: "If possible, as soon as possible, but we need to do it right." "Some areas may have exceeded deforestation thresholds, so they will need to be reviewed carefully." On June 26, the government formed a special committee to spearhead Malaysia's response to EUDR, aiming to maintain EU market access and strengthen sustainability compliance across key export sectors. It held its first meeting in Putrajaya on June 26, bringing together officials and technical experts to align national policies, implementation strategies and data systems with EUDR requirements. The committee will also serve as the central platform for Malaysia's engagement with the European Commission, including the submission of official datasets, policy updates, and participation in technical exchanges. This whole-of-government effort underscores Malaysia's commitment to sustainability across key commodities — including palm oil, rubber, timber and cocoa — which collectively generated RM186 billion in export value last year.
New Straits Times
15 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Thailand braces for crisis as trials and protests loom
BANGKOK: Thailand's controversial ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra goes on trial for lese-majeste next week with the kingdom teetering on the brink of political chaos, as his daughter faces being sacked as prime minister and activists threaten mass protests. Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy looks set for a new round of the turmoil that has periodically gripped it over the last two decades as conservative forces renew their long-running tussle with the Shinawatra dynasty. The coming weeks will see a series of court hearings that could terminate Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's brief political career and send her 75-year-old billionaire father to jail. Thaksin goes on trial from Tuesday accused of insulting the monarchy, which under Thailand's strict royal defamation laws could bring a maximum 15-year jail sentence. The allegations stem from an interview he gave in 2015 to a South Korean newspaper, with the trial set to last three weeks. A verdict is not expected for at least a month after that. The lese-majeste laws shield King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family from insult or abuse, but critics say the laws are abused to stifle legitimate comment and debate. The drama comes as the tourist-dependent kingdom seeks to reinvigorate its economy while heading off US President Donald Trump's damaging threatened trade tariffs. Thailand is also grappling with a festering border row with Cambodia. Paetongtarn's government hangs by a thread. Its ruling coalition was slashed to a tiny majority by the departure last week of the conservative Bhumjaithai party in a row over a leaked phone call between the prime minister and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. In the audio of the call about the border dispute, Paetongtarn makes disparaging reference to a Thai army commander and addresses Hun Sen as "uncle." Critics slammed the 38-year-old for insulting the military – a powerful force in Thai politics – and for being too deferential, calling for her to quit. She apologised last week and managed to shore up her coalition, but now a group of conservative senators has submitted a petition to the Constitutional Court calling for her to be sacked. The court may decide on Tuesday whether to accept the case, but its president, Nakharin Mektrairat, told reporters this week that it would be up to the nine judges to decide the timeframe. If the court accepts the case, it may suspend her from office while it considers it, with a ruling expected to take several months. Paetongtarn's case and her father's trial are the latest round in a bitter 25-year arm wrestle between Thailand's traditional conservative, pro-military, pro-royalist elite and parties linked to Thaksin. Thaksin was twice elected prime minister in the early 2000s and is still loved by many of the rural voters whose lives were changed by his policies. But the establishment has long despised him as corrupt, nepotistic and a threat to the kingdom's long-established social order. Thaksin was ousted in a coup in 2006, his sister Yingluck Shinawatra suffered the same fate in 2014 and other prime ministers from their political movement have been sacked by court rulings. After 15 years abroad, Thaksin returned to Thailand in August 2023. He was immediately ordered to serve an eight-year jail term for historic graft and abuse of power charges, but was taken to hospital on health grounds and later pardoned by the king. That sequence of events has prompted a separate judicial probe into whether he got special treatment, and Thaksin's regular public appearances seem to have riled his old foes. "His enemies never disappear – they are still there, while new enemies have emerged and friends become enemies," Paradorn Pattanatabut, a former secretary general of the National Security Council, told AFP. In a country which has seen a dozen coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, the latest crisis has sparked speculation about another possible military intervention to oust Paetongtarn. Tub-thumping posts on military-affiliated Facebook pages voicing vehement support for the army after Paetongtarn's leaked call have added fuel to the fire. But a security source told AFP that a conventional tanks-in-the-street coup was both difficult and unnecessary, given the potential to stage a "silent coup" through the courts or other bodies such as the election commission. Wanwichit Boonprong from Rangsit University agreed, saying this kind of "stealth authoritarianism" was more effective. To add further spice to the mix, on Saturday a group of political activists involved in huge demonstrations that helped sink previous governments has pledged to hold a major rally calling for Paetongtarn to quit.
The Star
18 hours ago
- The Star
Finnish Samis urge stronger voice in EU decision-making
HELSINKI, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Representatives of the Finnish Sami community called for stronger Indigenous participation in European Union (EU) policymaking at the EU Arctic Forum held Friday in Kittila, northern Finland. Tuomas Aslak Juuso, vice president of the Sami Parliament in Finland, emphasized that EU policies significantly influence the daily lives of the Samis - from climate adaptation to cross-border trade - yet the Sami people currently lack a direct mechanism to shape those policies. He noted that while the EU formally recognized the special status of the Samis in Finland's EU accession treaty, a legal foundation that protects Indigenous rights such as reindeer herding, recent initiatives like the European Green Deal have frequently failed to reflect the needs of Indigenous communities. The Samis have long advocated for permanent parliamentary representation in Brussels and a formal partnership between the Sami Parliamentary Council (SPC) and the European Parliament. However, Juuso pointed out that the EU still lacks an internal policy on Indigenous peoples. He further urged the creation of dedicated EU funding mechanisms to support Sami adaptation and strengthen community resilience. Such funds, he argued, should directly address the impacts of climate change on traditional livelihoods like reindeer herding, fishing, and handicrafts. Also speaking at the forum, former Finnish President Tarja Halonen highlighted the importance of protecting Indigenous rights and ensuring their active role in shaping EU policies. "The cultural heritage and knowledge of Indigenous peoples are essential to the resilience of ecosystems - both in the Arctic and globally," Halonen said. She warned that despite contributing the least to environmental degradation, Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected by climate change, land degradation, and biodiversity loss, particularly in the rapidly warming Arctic region. The Samis are the only recognized Indigenous people within the EU, with their traditional homeland spanning the northern regions of Finland, Norway, Sweden, and parts of Russia. The EU Arctic Forum runs from June 26 to 27, with side events scheduled on June 25 and 28.
