Spain parliament votes against Catalan separatist amnesty bill

Last year, in exchange for parliamentary support, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez agreed to the law to allow him to form a minority leftist government.

Catalan separatist lawmakers have voted against an amnesty bill amid disagreements on its scope between the ruling Socialists and a Catalan separatist party, dealing a blow to the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

The bill, which was rejected on Tuesday by 179 votes to 171, will return to a parliamentary committee for a debate and could potentially be sent back for another vote in the lower house.

Last year, in exchange for parliamentary support from two small Catalan separatist parties, Sanchez agreed to put forward the bill.

But the Catalan Junts voted against the bill after they failed to reach a last-minute deal with Sanchez’s Socialist Workers’ Party.