Let’s stay:
Protesters wave Spanish flags during a demonstration against prime minister Pedro Sanchez in Colon Square on Sunday in Madrid ahead of the trial of Catalan separatist leaders. The government is accused of being lenient towards the secessionists.
Thousands of people demonstrated in Madrid on Sunday against Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s proposed talks to ease political tension in Catalonia, in a protest organised by centre-right and far-right opposition parties.
Demonstrators filled the Plaza de Colon in the city centre in the largest protest Sanchez has faced, with their slogan “For a united Spain, elections now!”a reminder of the pressure on his minority government.
The socialist government’s proposal last Tuesday to appoint a rapporteur in talks among political parties to address the Catalan independence crisis galvanised the opposition, which deems it a betrayal and a surrender to pressure from Catalan separatists. The opposition has called for early elections.
Sanchez, who replaced a conservative government last June, holds just a quarter of the seats in parliament and relies on backing from anti-austerity party Podemos, Catalan nationalists and other small parties to pass laws.
The government faces a key vote next Wednesday on its 2019 budget proposal, which will likely fail without the support of Catalan parties. But those parties have said their vote for the budget is conditional on the Catalan talks, including the issue of independence, which the government will not include. Failure to approve the budget bill could prompt a snap election before the 2020 scheduled vote.
Centre-right wing parties Popular Party and Ciudadanos organised Sunday’s protest, and the newly emerged far-right party Vox also participated.
“The time of Sanchez’s government has ended,” Popular Party leader Pablo Casado said at the protest.
Sanchez said on Saturday that the gathering would show a Spain “that simply proposes to go backwards”.
Ana Puente, a 73 year-old retiree, said she was protesting for a “united Spain”. Raquel García, 76, said: “The government is giving many things to supporters of Catalan independence and is going to break Spain apart.”
The protest took place two days before the start of the trial of 12 Catalan independence leaders, who face up to 25 years in prison on charges of rebellion and misuse of funds.