The Diplomat
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, yesterday admitted his “concern” about the agreements reached by the PSOE with Junts and ERC, which include an amnesty law for those involved in the pro-independence process in Catalonia, in exchange for the votes for Pedro Sánchez to be re-elected President of the Government.
Speaking to the media after the meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers in Brussels, Borrell said, when asked about the presentation in Congress by the Socialist Group of a non-legislative proposal that includes the amnesty: “Everyone who knows me and knows my background can imagine what I think”.
The High Representative, who said he was unaware of the details of the amnesty law at the time, acknowledged, however, that the agreements reached with ERC and Junts “cause some or quite a lot of concern”. “It is a complex and difficult issue on which, in due course, not now, I will express myself”, he said.
Without quoting Borrell, the acting foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, told journalists, also from Brussels: “Throughout Europe, amnesty laws are always instruments of construction, coexistence and harmony. And that is what Catalonia needs and what Spain needs”.
In recent days, the social networks had missed a statement from Josep Borrell on the pacts that Sánchez was reaching with Catalan independence supporters.
During his time as Spain’s Foreign Affairs Minister, between June 2018 and November 2019, Borrell made the fight against the pro-independence narrative one of his flags and in different forums and international visits he dedicated himself to dismantling the pro-independence arguments, which he accused of “lying for years” and presenting themselves as victims.
He insisted that the separation of Catalonia from the rest of Spain would have “very high costs in the short term” and was critical of the idea of a mediator between the government and the pro-independence supporters, pointing out that he was only trying to internationalise the conflict and draw parallels with conflicts such as Kosovo or Bosnia.
Before being appointed minister, when he was somewhat retired from political life, he was in charge of giving a speech at the “Recuperem el Seny” demonstration called by Sociedad Civil Catalana on 8 October 2017 in Barcelona against the illegal referendum held in Catalonia on 1 October. Borrell defended that “Catalonia is neither a colony nor a militarily occupied state“, called on the pro-independence movement “not to push Catalonia towards the precipice” and, pointing to the European flag, said: “this is our Estelada”.
