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Spain's Sanchez Promises Dialogue on Catalonia if Confirmed

Reuters

   MADRID - Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez agreed on Tuesday
   to meet with Catalonia's pro-independence regional head provided that
   the national parliament confirms him as premier -- a vote in which
   separatists are likely to play a crucial role.

   According his office, Sanchez told Catalan president Quim Torra in a
   telephone conversation that he would try to promote dialogue and reduce
   tension should he form a government after months of political stalemate
   and two inconclusive elections this year.

   The overture marks the first time Sanchez and Torra have talked after
   the Socialist premier refused on various occasions in October to answer
   Torra's calls, saying that he had failed to condemn the at times
   violent separatist protests in Barcelona.

   Protests erupted in October after Spain sentenced nine separatist
   leaders to long prison sentences for their role in a failed bid for
   independence in 2017.

   The resumption of contacts comes at a time when Sanchez's political
   future appears to hinge on Catalan separatists.

   His Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) has been negotiating with
   the pro-independence leftist party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya
   (ERC)-- which is not Torra's party -- to ask for its abstention vote in
   the confirmation ballot.

   Left-wing ERC has conditioned its support in setting up a negotiation
   between the Spanish and Catalan government on the independence issue in
   the wealthy northeastern region.

   So far no deal has been reached, but one of ERC's demands was for
   Sanchez to call Torra as a goodwill sign.

   The Socialists have struck a coalition deal with left-wing Podemos. It
   favors dialogue with Catalonia and, unlike the Socialists, supports a
   referendum on independence.

   But both parties combined have only 155 seats in the 350-seat house,
   giving ERC's 13 lawmakers a potential kingmaker role in unblocking the
   political stalemate.

   Sanchez and Torra have not met since about a year ago and talks between
   both governments collapsed in February.

   In his call, Sanchez said he would address the situation in Catalonia,
   where society is almost split in favor and against independence.

   "The will...is to find a response to this political crisis," his office
   said in a statement.

   Torra defended the right of self-determination and the freedom of the
   jailed leaders as the solutions needed.

   Sanchez plans to talk this week with the leaders of Spain's 17 regions.
   After the potential investiture vote, he also seeks to hold bilateral
   meetings and then a summit with all of them, as well as to improve the
   regional financing system, his office said.