A senior adviser to the European Union’s top court has recommended that the bloc should uphold Spain’s controversial amnesty law for Catalan separatists, ruling that it does not violate EU law and forms part of a legitimate political reconciliation process.

In a formal opinion delivered on Thursday, the advocate general of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) stated that Spain’s amnesty initiative aimed at pardoning those involved in the 2017 Catalonia independence bid falls within the country’s sovereign right to promote national unity and restore political stability.

The disputed law, championed by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has sparked intense debate within Spain and across Europe. Critics, particularly from the conservative opposition and parts of the judiciary, argue that it undermines the rule of law and sets a dangerous precedent for political accountability.
Supporters, however, describe it as a necessary step toward healing divisions that have persisted since the 2017 unilateral independence referendum a vote deemed illegal by Spain’s Constitutional Court.

While the advocate general’s opinion is not legally binding, the CJEU typically follows such recommendations in its final rulings. A formal judgment from the EU court is expected in the coming months and could influence ongoing legal and political debates within Spain.

If upheld, the amnesty could see hundreds of Catalan politicians and activists including exiled former regional leader Carles Puigdemont cleared of charges linked to the independence movement.

The case has drawn widespread attention across Europe, with many viewing it as a litmus test for the balance between national sovereignty, judicial independence, and political reconciliation within the European Union.