The PP, Junts and Vox reject the pension increase and the anti-eviction measures

MadridThe pressure has had no effect. The PP and Junts have rejected the pension increase and the anti-eviction measures in Congress. Although both parties agreed with the first initiative to update pensions, the fact that it was included in the same decree as the second, which they oppose, led them to vote against both. The criticism they received from the left during Tuesday's plenary session of the Lower House and the pleas from housing groups, who marched to the doors of the Lower House to demand the approval of the legislation, did not change their initial positions, which had already predicted this outcome. the first parliamentary defeat of the Spanish government this 2026. Vox also voted against it. Conversely, the Spanish government has passed the decree creating a single transport pass for the entire country and maintaining public transport subsidies amidst the railway crisis. Juntos voted in favor, and the PP abstained.

Regarding the first rejected decree, throughout the day attention has focused mainly on those of Carles Puigdemont, who continue to have severed ties with the Spanish government. "They can't force us to vote yes to a situation where you can't do anything if your apartment is occupied and they don't pay the rent," argued the Junta's spokesperson in Congress, Miriam Nogueras, during the plenary session, in a speech in which she accused the Moncloa Palace of "blackmailing" them by using the pension revaluation as a pretext. With a similar argument, the PP's deputy secretary, Juan Bravo, said that the Spanish government has used pensioners as "hostages." Protecting vulnerable groups, says the PP, is "the State's job" and cannot be done at the expense of "law-abiding" citizens who "have occupied housing." Both the PP and the members of the provincial council are demanding a separate vote on the pension increase from other issues. "We will vote yes to the revaluation when it is presented without the blackmail of maintaining jobs," Nogueras stated. In fact, just yesterday the members of the provincial council proposed a specific initiative to vote solely on the pension update. The PP has also urged the Spanish government to vote in favor of an initiative the party presented two months ago in the lower house, which also had as its sole point the automatic revaluation of pensions. Sources at the Ministry of Social Security reacted to the parliamentary setback by sending a "message of reassurance" to pensioners and affirmed that they will work to ensure that the 2.7% increase in 2026, which will be applied this January because it has been in effect since its approval a month ago, "becomes a reality" in the remaining months. They criticized the "irresponsibility" of the groups that voted against it. Sources from Junts point out that it's easy: the Spanish government can issue a new decree, if it wants, tomorrow, these sources argue.

This Tuesday's sequence of events is not new: the same thing happened last year, and Junts and PSOE ultimately agreed on a new regulation to update pensions.

Pressure for the social safety net

Carles Puigdemont's party has been under scrutiny not only for pensions, but also because in this case they explicitly oppose anti-eviction measures. "I didn't think this was going to be a question time session in Junts," Nogueras quipped during the plenary session.

The left-wing parties have attacked the Junts members—whom they had hoped to convince to change their vote—for their announced "no" vote. ERC deputy Jordi Salvador stated that one must be a "bad person" to vote against halting evictions of vulnerable groups. "We're talking about large landlords [...], perhaps in poshland "She knows many people with eleven apartments, but not those in my circle," she reproached Nogueras. Gabriel Rufián was even harsher for X: "Stop harming Catalonia." The leader of Podemos, Ione Belarra, demanded that he have "a little humanity" towards the people who benefit from these exceptional measures: "Otherwise, think about it," she snapped at the members of the Catalan Parliament. Representing Sumar, Aina Vidal accused Nogueras of "lying" because his vote against it "is shameful." Twenty-four hours before the vote, social groups met with Junts to discuss the suspension of the measure. Valeria Racu, from the Madrid Tenants' Association, stated that the opposition of the members of the Catalan Parliament was "surprising," given that Catalonia is "a leader in evictions." For his part, Paco Moroto, spokesperson for the Platform of People Affected by Mortgages, warned that there would be "serious and strong mobilizations" both in Madrid and at the doors of the lower house.

The Spanish government had also appealed to the "responsibility" of Junts and at the same time had made several overtures to Puigdemont's party. Just today, the Council of Ministers gave the green light to a 300 million euro allocation to finance the loan guarantee program. This measure is because they know their law "doesn't work" and that last year they already promised a line of aid for small property owners that has not yet materialized.

Spanish officials, however, deny that the parliamentary defeat will harm them and see it as "ammunition" against the right wing.