In nod to Catalonia, Spain's PM seeks to replace sedition in penal code

FILE PHOTO: Catalan pro-independence supporters hold a giant "estelada" (Catalan separatist flag) during a demonstration called "Via Lliure a la Republica Catalana" (Way of Freedom for the Republic of Catalonia) on the "Diada de Catalunya" (Catalunya's National Day) in Barcelona, Spain, September 11, 2015. REUTERS/Albert Gea

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's ruling coalition will propose legal changes to replace the crime of sedition, which has landed many Catalan separatists in prison, with a lesser crime in the penal code in line with best European practices, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said.

Sanchez told LaSexta TV on Thursday the move should further allay the political conflict between Madrid and the wealthy northeastern region of Catalonia after its failed independence bid in 2017.