In blow to Sanchez, parliament rejects amnesty bill for Catalan separatists

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, First Deputy Prime Minister Maria Jesus Montero and Minister for the Presidency, Justice and Parliamentary Relations Felix Bolanos attend a debate on the legislative proposal to grant amnesty to those involved in Catalonia's failed independence bid in 2017, in Madrid, Spain January 30, 2024. REUTERS/Ana Beltran

MADRID (Reuters) -Spain's lower house on Tuesday rejected an amnesty bill due to differences on its scope between the ruling Socialists and a Catalan separatist party, in a blow for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez that illustrates his parliamentary fragility.

The bill, rejected by 179 votes to 171, will now return for debate in a parliamentary committee and could eventually be sent back for another vote in the lower house. The amnesty bill is set to define Sanchez's second term and has prompted large protests against it.