Jailed officials should be ‘close to their families,’
new premier says.
New Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez
signaled Sunday his government would take a
less confrontational stance toward Catalan
separatists, while remaining opposed to
independence for the region.
In an interview with El País published Sunday,
Sánchez said he supported moving imprisoned
former Catalan government officials to Catalonia.
He also said he will reopen a bilateral
commission to resolve governance disputes
between the central government and Catalonia.
“The times in which the government aggravated
the problems with Catalonia has ended,” Sánchez
told the newspaper
Sánchez, the Socialist leader, became prime
minister earlier this month after his predecessor
Mariano Rajoy lost a no-confidence vote over
corruption allegations within his conservative
Popular Party. Rajoy took a hard line against
Catalan separatists, refusing offers to meet their
leaders as a crisis over the region’s status
escalated.
Sánchez said both sides need to rebuild trust
after last year, when the pro-independence
Catalan regional government held an illegal
independence referendum, which Madrid used
harsh tactics to suppress.
Sánchez said he supported moving former
Catalan government officials including ex-Vice
President Oriol Junqueras to Catalonia from their
current prison in Madrid. “The reasonable thing
is that the prisoners … are close to their families
and their lawyers. It is not a matter of tactics,”
Sánchez said.
The prime minister also said the moribund
bilateral commission between Madrid and the
Catalan government could be revived to solve a
range of disputes, although it could not be used
to further moves toward independence.
“There are some [issues] that are by far
unconstitutional, such as those linked to
[independence]. But there are others that have to
do with energy poverty and other social issues
that can be perfectly addressed,” Sánchez said.
new premier says.
New Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez
signaled Sunday his government would take a
less confrontational stance toward Catalan
separatists, while remaining opposed to
independence for the region.
In an interview with El País published Sunday,
Sánchez said he supported moving imprisoned
former Catalan government officials to Catalonia.
He also said he will reopen a bilateral
commission to resolve governance disputes
between the central government and Catalonia.
“The times in which the government aggravated
the problems with Catalonia has ended,” Sánchez
told the newspaper
Sánchez, the Socialist leader, became prime
minister earlier this month after his predecessor
Mariano Rajoy lost a no-confidence vote over
corruption allegations within his conservative
Popular Party. Rajoy took a hard line against
Catalan separatists, refusing offers to meet their
leaders as a crisis over the region’s status
escalated.
Sánchez said both sides need to rebuild trust
after last year, when the pro-independence
Catalan regional government held an illegal
independence referendum, which Madrid used
harsh tactics to suppress.
Sánchez said he supported moving former
Catalan government officials including ex-Vice
President Oriol Junqueras to Catalonia from their
current prison in Madrid. “The reasonable thing
is that the prisoners … are close to their families
and their lawyers. It is not a matter of tactics,”
Sánchez said.
The prime minister also said the moribund
bilateral commission between Madrid and the
Catalan government could be revived to solve a
range of disputes, although it could not be used
to further moves toward independence.
“There are some [issues] that are by far
unconstitutional, such as those linked to
[independence]. But there are others that have to
do with energy poverty and other social issues
that can be perfectly addressed,” Sánchez said.
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