Spain has approved a Catalan amnesty bill that will define the Prime Minister’s term, according to World News.

Spain’s Congress made a historic decision on Thursday by overturning an upper house veto and giving final approval to a controversial amnesty for Catalan separatists. The bill, passed by a narrow margin of 177-172 votes, is set to become law once published in the official gazette, potentially paving the way for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s second term and the return of exiled pro-independence leader Carles Puigdemont.

The amnesty, which has sparked large protests and divided public opinion, is expected to annul the legal records of hundreds of officials and activists involved in Catalonia’s separatist movement since 2011. While 62% of respondents across Spain oppose the amnesty, a majority of voters in Catalonia support it, highlighting the deep divisions within the country.

Sanchez proposed the amnesty last year in exchange for support from Catalan separatist parties to secure his position as premier after an inconclusive election. He believes the move will promote reconciliation with Catalonia, which has been at the center of Spain’s worst political crisis in decades.

The approval of the bill comes at a crucial time, as Sanchez’s Socialist Party recently won Catalonia’s regional election, weakening the separatists’ hold on power. The amnesty is seen as a way to solidify the alliance between the Socialists and smaller parties in parliament.

For Puigdemont, the amnesty represents a chance to return to Spain without facing arrest, as the warrant against him is expected to be lifted. The former Catalan president, who fled to Belgium after the failed independence bid in 2017, has expressed his intention to return once a new Catalan president is elected.

Overall, the approval of the controversial amnesty marks a significant moment in Spain’s political landscape, with implications for the future of Catalonia and the country as a whole.