"What was useful in the past was punishment and what is useful today is forgiveness"

Pedro Sánchez is convinced that the pardons to the nine independence leaders who were released from prison on Wednesday is the way to build "harmony" and "coexistence" which, in his opinion, is the obligation of politicians and, specifically, of the governments. The president, who has appealed to "magnanimity" in forgiveness, considers that those responsible for the you process non-compliance with the law has not come for free. "These nine people have spent 44 months in prison," he recalled at a press conference in Brussels in which he stated that "what was useful in the past was punishment and what is useful today is forgiveness."

This is how he has responded to Pablo Casado's attempt to delegitimize the decision before his ideological colleagues in the EU, which has hardly had any repercussions. "We have to understand what the benefits and harms of each decision are," said Sánchez, for whom the pardons are the beginning of a new stage in the relationship between Catalonia and the rest of the State, but he also trusts that a new one will open. stage in Catalan politics.

The president has also taken advantage of the press conference after the European Council to ugly the PP that does not have the same attitude as him when he was in the opposition and supported Mariano Rajoy before the illegal referendum with the support of 155. "Not now I have that support. This is something that Spaniards will also take note of regarding the past, present and future, "the socialist warned the same week that Casado demanded his resignation and the calling of elections.

Sánchez has insisted that the new dialogue now being opened between the Government and the Generalitat has to be framed within the "democratic legality" established by the Constitution. As in recent days the members of the Executive have done, he has ensured that the priority now, however, is to overcome the pandemic and undertake a vigorous recovery of the economy. "Catalonia is fundamental, like all territories," said the president, "for the recovery to be as strong as possible." "That is why I say that we must achieve coexistence, political and territorial harmony," he said.

"There is a lot to talk about and to discuss. There are many differences that we have to resolve," said Sánchez, who recalled that the Executive has already "heard" the "proclamations" and "claims" of the independence movement, but has warned that " democracy integrates, does not exclude, respects all ideas, the only limit is the constitutional pact ". Sánchez has opted to start the conversation with the Government for the "reunion agenda" in which the Executive has included the 21 demands that Artur Mas sent to Moncloa and later those demanded by Carles Puigdemont, with the exception of the referendum. The president has made reference to "investments, financing, or the recognition of some reparations that the Government of Spain has already been applying and approving in the Cortes."

Regarding the European Council meeting, Sánchez has expressly alluded to the controversy over the homophobic policy of the Hungarian Government of Víctor Orban and has reaffirmed himself in the letter signed by several European leaders in which they made a call to fight against discrimination in the face of the offensive of the radical Executive. However, the Spanish president, who has confirmed that the Trans and LGTBI law will go to the Council of Ministers this Tuesday 29 coinciding with Pride, has distanced himself from the countries that invite Hungary to leave the EU. "It is dangerous to identify governments with societies," he declared.

During the debate on Hungarian homophobic legislation this Thursday night in Brussels, several European leaders invited Orbán to leave the EU if he was not willing to respect their values.

"This legislation must be repealed", said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to journalists, "It is really terrible what is happening in Hungary right now. Gay rights are equated with pedophilia. If you think about it, you are going back a hundred years in time. What I can do is make sure that the 26 other Member States put an end to this. I never imagined when I came to this position 11 years ago that, in addition to fighting for the internal market, a strong euro, and the collective security that we provide ourselves by being members of this beautiful European Union, we still I would have to talk about these kinds of fundamental values. We have to bend Hungary on this. They must realize that if they are members of the European Union, no one can be discriminated on the grounds of sexuality, skin color, gender. It is non-negotiable .. .or they must leave. I cannot expel them. This can only be done step by step. "

According to Dutch sources, Rutte suggested that Orbán activate Article 50 - the same one that has allowed the United Kingdom to Brexit -, which "exists for a reason", if it does not want to comply with the values ​​of the EU.

The Luxembourg Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel, for his part, intervened excitedly, according to diplomatic sources cited by Politico: "We have known each other for eight years, but this affects me [dijo sobre Orbán]. I didn't go gay. I am, it's not a choice. You see how many LGBTI youth commit suicide. This is very bad. This is stigmatizing. We now have anti-gay posters in France. This is really terrible in a European country. My mother hates that I'm gay, I live with that. And now you put this into a law. I respect you, but this is a red line. It's about basic rights, the right to be different. "