'No date' for deal as Socialists-Junts talks continue
Parties working on amnesty law and "some aspects of political agreement" to enable reelection of Pedro Sánchez as Spanish PM
Negotiations between pro-independence Junts and Spain's Socialists continue in Brussels on Tuesday over a possible agreement to reelect the Socialist leader, Pedro Sánchez, as prime minister.
Sources present at the talks say the two parties continue to exchange documents to "qualify" aspects of the amnesty law, but they are not setting a date to come to a final agreement.
"We don't have a date, but the [deadline] is November 27," one source said, referencing the legal time limit for Sánchez to be reelected before a snap election is automatically called.
"We are working on it, we are making progress," they said, adding that the parties are "working" on the amnesty law and on "some details of the political agreement."
"We can't give a time frame, we just keep talking."
Negotiations have intensified since former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and other Junts officials met with senior Socialist figures on October 30.
A vote this week is "difficult"
Regarding the possibility of a vote on Sánchez's investiture taking place this week, Socialist sources said that for now it looks "difficult."
The Socialists have already garnered the support of Catalonia's other main pro-independence party, Esquerra Republicana, as well as coalition partners Sumar, who confirmed their backing on Tuesday.
A deal with Junts would be the last piece of the puzzle.
Amnesty
An amnesty for those involved in Catalonia's independence push, including the 2017 referendum deemed illegal by Spain, is a key part of the Socialists' agreements with Junts and Esquerra.
Acting Prime Minster Pedro Sánchez has publicly backed an amnesty, but the much-anticipated bill has not yet been put forward.
There has also been opposition. Spanish police clashed with demonstrators on Monday night who were at the Socialist party headquarters in Madrid to protest the proposed amnesty law. Around 3,800 people attended and three protestosr were arrested, according to the government delegation.
Meanwhile, Spain's top judicial authority, the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), approved an institutional declaration against an amnesty.
The group of magistrates believes that such a move would mean the "abolition of the rule of law in Spain."
The text was approved with nine votes in favor, five against and one abstention.