Catalan employers' association takes action after Junts' break with the PSOE

MadridSince November 2023, when Junts signed the pact to invest Pedro Sánchez, the employers' association has viewed Carles Puigdemont's party differently and He began to parade through Waterloo. From being the driving force behind the October 1st referendum, he became a guarantor of his interests against the Moncloa Palace and the left-wing parties that make up the majority of the government in Spain. A clear example was the veto of the reduction of the working day by the Second Vice President of the Spanish Government, Yolanda Díaz. But what happens now that Junts has announced its break with the PSOE? Is there any law that will bar Junts from participating that directly affects employers' associations? Is there still room to pass measures that affect businesses?

In this context, employers' associations have begun assessing the damage and evaluating the extent to which the new political landscape in Spain affects their interests. As previously reported The CountryThe president of Foment del Treball, Josep Sánchez Llibre, had planned to meet this week with the leader of Junts, Carles Puigdemont, in Belgium to discuss the split with the PSOE. This meeting took place on Tuesday, according to several sources consulted by ARA. The meeting is not new, in the sense that the former leader of Unió has been cultivating a relationship with the former president of the Generalitat for some time. It is significant that Foment del Treball was the first employers' association to have its picture taken with Puigdemont after his 2017 exile, right in the middle of the campaign for the 2024 Catalan Parliament elections. In fact, Sánchez Llibre had been cultivating a relationship with Puigdemont for some time. The business community's perspective

According to sources familiar with the talks, business leaders are "satisfied" with Junts' role in this legislature, as it has vetoed initiatives from the left-wing majority that supports the Spanish government or has introduced amendments favorable to businesses, whether family-owned or large corporations. It wasn't just the issue of reducing working hours, but also the withdrawal of the energy tax (where the company Repsol carried out a strong lobbying activity for the planned investment in the Camp de Tarragonaor oppose the increase in self-employed social security contributions. Junts has also sometimes aligned itself with the PP and Vox. For example, on the tightening of certain bureaucratic requirements for migrants, or on housing issues to undermine initiatives of the Spanish government, as happened this Tuesday, when they voted together on a non-binding motion from the PP to end the suspension of some evictions. a measure in effect since Covid-19According to various sources, the employers' association wants Junts to maintain this role in this legislature and, if necessary, continue channeling its demands to influence the Spanish government. With the meeting with Puigdemont, Sánchez Llibre can learn firsthand the extent of the rupture and what loopholes remain within the framework of the Spanish legislature. However, this interest from Foment del Treball is generating unease among some members of Junts, who do not want to be seen as a crutch for the employers' association in Congress, according to sources consulted by ARA, especially at this time. Therefore, unlike other occasions, discretion has characterized the meeting. Official sources from Foment del Treball are not making any comments. It should be noted that Junts has not announced a veto of all laws, but rather, initially... has advanced its "no" to about fifty rulesThe change in the relationship Junts previously maintained with the PSOE is that there are no longer parliamentary negotiations, nor negotiations in Switzerland, so the Spanish government will only learn how Carles Puigdemont's party votes through the Congress screen. This, at least, opens the possibility of passing measures that might please the Junts members.

Spanish government sources seized on this on Tuesday to say that the legislature was not dead. The Minister of Education and spokesperson, Pilar Alegría, announced a draft bill to reduce student-teacher ratios in schools And he believed it could move forward despite the situation in the Congress of Deputies. "We are optimistic," sources at La Moncloa (the Prime Minister's official residence) stated, adding that, despite Junts' announcement of its break with the coalition, they will continue with legislative activity in the Council of Ministers and that, later, in the Spanish Parliament, they will see what can ultimately be approved. What doesn't seem to be on the table is for employers' associations to push for a motion of no confidence against Sánchez, nor is it "instrumental" for calling elections. The PP (People's Party) also rejected this on Tuesday: "We will remove him through the ballot box, without shortcuts."