Catalan amnesty deal comes at huge 'cost': Spanish PM faces 'extremely tough battle' ahead to govern

Pedro Sanchez won the backing of Spain's parliament on Thursday for another term as prime minister, with the country divided over his amnesty for Catalan separatists in exchange for their crucial support in a confidence vote. Sanchez, in office since 2018, won the slim backing of 179 lawmakers, three more than the absolute majority of 176 in the 350-seat parliament after an often tense two-day debate. His Socialist party finished second in an inconclusive July general election but he reached deals with several smaller parties to back re-establishing his minority coalition government with hard-left party Sumar. To win the support of two Catalan separatist parties, he agreed to grant an amnesty to hundreds of people facing legal action for their role in Catalonia's separatist movement over the past decade. Among the beneficiaries is Carles Puigdemont, who headed the regional government of Catalonia when it staged a failed secession bid in 2017. With Sánchez now assured the prime ministership, despite intense controversy over amnesty for separatists, FRANCE 24's Tom Burges Watson is joined by Carlos Mascarell Vilar, Political Analyst and Carlos Mascarell Vilar, Columnist on Spanish, Catalan, European and International Affairs.

[craigcook]

"FRANCE 24's Tom Burges Watson is joined by Carlos Mascarell Vilar, Political Analyst and Carlos Mascarell Vilar, Columnist on Spanish, Catalan, European and International Affairs." it sounds like there are two people named "Carlos Mascarell Vilar", by how this was written.

[KerriForsberg]

Just give them their independence already.