"An historic opportunity." That is how the main negotiator for the Spanish Socialist party (PSOE), Santos Cerdán, number three in the party, has this Thursday described the agreement reached with Together for Catalonia (Junts). Both parties agreed on Wednesday, as reported by ElNacional.cat, to close the deal this Thursday, a pact that they completed this morning and that Cerdán himself and the Junts general secretary, Jordi Turull, have signed. The PSOE organizational secretary presented the main lines of the deal this Thursday at noon from the Sofitel hotel in Brussels, saying that the agreement is an "historic opportunity to resolve a conflict that can only be resolved through politics". "There are deep discrepancies between the PSOE and Junts, but we are capable of finding points of re-encounter for the well-being of the citizens," he said. Cerdán stated that this pact is for the entire legislature - therefore, it does not only include an agreement for the investiture of Pedro Sánchez as prime minister - and that it allows the opening of an "historical new era based on respect and mutual recognition, a political and negotiated solution".
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The PSOE politician emphasized that the pact comes at a "key moment" for Spain and affirmed that it is "essential to form a progressive government that will comply with the mandate of July 23rd as soon as possible". According to Cerdán, the Spanish public have said "no to tension, confrontation, and hatred; and they have said yes to agreement, coexistence and progress". The Socialist admitted that, six years after Catalonia's 1-O referendum, "the fundamental conflict remains unresolved" in Catalonia. For this reason, the PSOE number three stressed that there is a "real will and opportunity" to "return to politics for the resolution of disputes" and open "a path for a new understanding" so as to "not let the past condition the future". "We commit ourselves to concede Catalan and Spanish society a new horizon in which politics is the framework in which differences are resolved," he said.
The PSOE's Santos Cerdán: "The opportunity is real, and so is the will. The ballot boxes have given us this possibility and that's what we're going to do."
The PSOE finalises the amnesty law
Regarding the fact that the content of the amnesty law is not known, Santos Cerdán affirmed that the agreement over this matter has been "completed", but that the rest of the parties that need to vote in favour of it have yet to see it and for this reason it has not yet been presented. The Socialist secretary expressed the view that he would like all all the parties that support the law to also sign it. Cerdán insisted that it has already been agreed with Junts and that from the Catalan party's ranks they are "very happy" with the whole agreement, which he emphasized is "for the legislature and for four years". Regarding the scope of the amnesty, the PSOE explains that it covers the period from 2012 to the present and that at no time was there talk of "particular names" during the negotiation. Faced with the prosecutions in the Democratic Tsunami case, Santos Cerdán explained that Junts wanted to do a "re-reading" of what the two parties had discussed over the amnesty law.
The PSOE-Junts accord document states that work tables will be set up throughout the legislature and that the first of the meetings will be held this November. It is in this that the text indicates that Junts will move the proposal to hold a referendum on self-determination recognized by Article 92 of the Constitution, while the PSOE seeks to talk about "development" of self-government. Cerdán explained that the PSOE's position on the referendum is "clear" and that everything they will do will be "within the Constitution". Regarding the national recognition of Catalonia, the Socialist acknowledged that it has been part of the negotiations, but that it will be an issue that will continue to be discussed in the work meetings with Junts: "It must be remembered that the Constitution does talk about nationalities". Now, with the guaranteed support of Junts, Pedro Sánchez has 172 votes in his favour, close to an absolute majority in Congress. What he still lacks are the votes of the Basque Nationalists (PNV), with whom agreement is also close, according to the PSOE organizational secretary.