Catalan separatist party to reevaluate support for Spanish government

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BARCELONA (Reuters) – Catalan separatist party Junts on Friday said it would decide whether to keep its crucial parliamentary support for the central government in Madrid, as the situation in the wealthy northeastern region had “changed a lot”.

Its secretary general, Jordi Turull, listed as factors influencing the decision the new Catalan government led by Socialist Salvador Illa – who is against independence and was confirmed as leader on Thursday – and problems with a law granting amnesty to those involved in a failed 2017 secession bid.

A tax-related agreement between the Socialists and moderate separatist party ERC that has allowed Illa to govern Catalonia had changed the conditions under which Junts agreed to support the central government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez last year, Turull said.

He also said Junts’ support would have “a very narrow path forward or no path at all” unless Madrid strongly defended the full application of the contentious amnesty law by judges.

“The situation has changed a lot because of the context and the parameters that made our deal (to support the Socialist-led government) possible, and we have to see whether it makes sense,” Turull said.

The amnesty bill passed in May was meant to pardon those involved in the 2017 attempt to declare Catalonia’s independence from Madrid in exchange for the critical support from separatist parties for Sanchez’s new term as premier after an inconclusive general election last year.

However, Spain’s Supreme Court upheld arrest warrants for Catalonia’s former leader Carles Puigdemont and two others charged with embezzlement, ruling that the amnesty law does not apply to them.

(Reporting by Joan Faus; Writing by David Latona; Editing by Andrei Khalip)