Pedro Sánchez announces that tomorrow the Council of Ministers will grant the pardons

BarcelonaThe movement of tectonic plates has been smoothing the terrain so that the Spanish President, Pedro Sánchez, can dedicate this week to defend the pardons of political prisoners without great resistance. First it was the endorsement of ERC for the pardons, but then this was added to that of the Spanish employers, the Cercle d'Economia and the Catalan Church, which were reacting in chain to the message, launched in May from the Spanish government, that the will was to release the pro-independence leaders. The week that starts this Monday is important for the head of the executive to control the story of this decision, with the memory of the clash with the State and the imprisonment of the sovereignty leaders still fresh in the memory of citizens of both sensibilities. It begins with an event at the Liceu in which, under the title "Reencuentro. A project for the future for all of Spain", Sánchez announced that tomorrow he will propose the granting of pardons to the Council of Ministers. "The government of Spain has decided to face the problem, to seek harmony, that's why I will propose the pardons to the Council of Ministers", he said: "We want to resume political dialogue".

"The fundamental reason for the pardons is their usefulness for harmony", he said: "It may seem that this situation is directed only at them, but it is directed at citizens as a whole. For the Spanish President, the pardons are a "message for the thousands of people who supported" the political prisoners, and also for those who "censure" them but consider that "enough is enough". "With this act, we take nine people out of prison, but we add millions for harmony", he has stressed, insisting that it is understood that "there are no paths outside the law".

"My government will take advantage of any reason, any situation, to bring about the reunion", Sánchez insisted, in a speech that despite the strict controls at the entrance has been interrupted by an Arran activist - as reported by CUP - to the cry of "Long live the land!" and "Independence!". "I am not unaware, as we are seeing, that there are people opposed to this measure" Sanchez has responded to this: "We are in the theater of the word, all opinions are welcome". However, he called on people to "abandon" the "toy of discord". At the end of his speech, a woman with a yellow butterfly on her lapel briefly interrupted Sánchez's exit in the hallway. He invited her to leave with him to address her concerns, which she accepted.

The President has also released a message towards the most heated unionism: "We are ready to ask everyone to recognize the full legality and constitutionality of the measure". The demonstration of the triple right in Colón (Madrid) showed a divided opposition that only managed to bring together 25,000 people. In Barcelona, the concentration that Ciudadanos called in front of the government delegation in Barcelona, with the presence of PP, failed miserably with a presence of only 300 people - which Inés Arrimadas justified by assuring that it was a "symbolic" act. Precisely, in this morning's event there is an audience of 300 institutional representatives, politicians and organizations. One detail is the presence of the President of Societat Civil Catalana (SCC), Fernando Sánchez Costa, who attended the rally against pardons but has also attended the event at the Liceu, against the criteria - according to consulted sources - of some members of the board: it is the demonstration that the no to the pardons of the entity - formed by a plurality of sensibilities - is not as firm as in another times.

On the other hand, the Catalan government does not attend: the President Pere Aragonès declined the invitation. Neither is the President of the Parliament, Laura Borràs, who instead of the act of 12 o'clock in the Liceu announced her presence in the Ciutat de la Justícia to support a new "repressed person" by the Spanish justice. While from Waterloo, the ex President Carles Puigdemont and Vice President Jordi Puigneró challenged Sanchez last week to explain the measure in Parliament. From Lledoners, former Vice President Oriol Junqueras yesterday censured the staging of Sanchez, considering that he is "speculating" with his freedom.