"How long will this rubbish last?": the war returns to Congress after the papal parenthesis

MadridMonday there were no shouts in the Congress of Deputies. In fact, there was a deathly silence while waiting to hear Pope Leo XIV at the rostrum of the hemicycle and, once the speech was made, almost all the deputies applauded unanimously for 7 minutes. They gave a standing ovation to the pontiff despite hearing issues, from both the right and the left, that they did not like. This Wednesday, that parenthesis of peace has vanished as if it had never existed: tension has returned, and harsher words have once again predominated in the plenary between the Spanish government and the opposition.

Continuing with the warlike parallels, the first to open fire was Alberto Núñez Feijóo. The leader of the PP began his speech as follows: "12 summaries, 17 crimes, and almost a hundred defendants. And to cover it up, he has resorted to practicing state crime [...]. He will go down in history as the instigator, financier, and beneficiary of the biggest corruption case in democracy," he said, addressing Pedro Sánchez. He even referred to the Spanish president as P.S. in allusion to the annotation in Leire Díez's diary, in a style very similar to how the PSOE repeatedly referred to M. Rajoy who appears in Bárcenas' papers. "If he knew everything, he will have to resign for corruption, and if he didn't know, he will have to resign for incompetence. This is what this chamber is asking for, even your partners. You ignore the legislative power because you are afraid of the judicial power. How long will this filth last?" Feijóo even exclaimed.

The applause from the popular bench was loud, while indignation took hold of the socialist seats. "If you want to play with acronyms, first ask about M. Rajoy. Enough of the double standard: I sit in a headquarters on Ferraz street that has not been financed with dirty money", Sánchez replied forcefully. And he continued: "I accept my mistakes, but I will never accept your degree of hypocrisy. From the party of Púnica, of Gürtel, of Kitchen, of the patriotic police, of the party of Marcial Dorado... Lessons, none". Sánchez accused Feijóo of "not having his own voice and being the voice of his masters", Spanish elites who feel "uncomfortable" with this government that "raises the professional minimum wage, pensions, or benefits territorial cohesion". In this way, he reiterated that he will hold on until 2027 and "even beyond", if Spaniards wish.

So much so that the Minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, has set a date for the announcement made by Sánchez at the Círculo de Economía, where he assured that he would get to work on the 2027 budgets. The also first vice-president of the Spanish government has announced that he will present the macroeconomic framework, a prior step to making the accounts, on June 23rd.

"The Pope has spoken more Catalan than you throughout his political career"

The other strong point of the control session to the government has been the questions from the leader of Junts, Míriam Nogueras, and the head of EH Bildu, Mertxe Aizpurua. Nogueras has lamented the situation in the Principality.

—"How do you see Catalonia, Mr. Sánchez?", asked the Junts leader.

—"I see it well", replied the Spanish president.

—"Then put on glasses", Nogueras stated.

For the leader of Junts, the Spanish government does not pay the Generalitat what it owes and, furthermore, there is fiscal pressure that does not allow Catalans to lift their heads —she stated. "The streets are overflowing with teachers, health workers, and Rodalies users," she said. Furthermore, she took the opportunity to attack the government of Salvador Illa: "It is not capable of defending Catalonia and the Catalan language. He should break his face for the Catalans." And she ended with a reflection: she reproached Sánchez and also the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, that Pope Leo XIV "has spoken more Catalan in an hour in Catalonia than they have in their entire political careers. It explains very well how much Catalans matter to them."

Sánchez has defended himself: "I have a deep respect for Catalan, Basque, and Galician. Catalan can be spoken in this chamber thanks to an initiative from your group. It cannot be done in the Senate because the absolute majority of the PP blocks it. That is the difference between some and others." In fact, for the Spanish government, this is the best executive that Catalans could have. He cited, among other things, the amnesty law that should soon be fully applied and also the new financing model that provides more money for the autonomous communities. Furthermore, he recalled that he "is working" for Catalan to be official in the European Union, despite the PP's attempts to boycott it, he said. What does the Popular Party say about this? Party sources deny the majority, despite the campaign they orchestrated against the native language in European institutions. "We respect the official languages," they assure, in addition to warning Junts that, based on the polls, they are not getting any benefit from supporting Sánchez.

Be that as it may, from Alberto Núñez Feijóo's ranks, they show themselves to be calm about the Spanish government's situation, as they interpret that time is on their side: "Sánchez's bloc is weakening and Feijóo's is rising," they state. And, at the same time, they are certain that the judicial storm surrounding the PSOE will intensify. Next week's agenda is horribilis for Sánchez: on Monday his wife, Begoña Gómez, is summoned for a preliminary hearing before Judge Juan Carlos Peinado; on Tuesday, the Director General of the Civil Guard, Mercedes González, must appear in the Senate after it was revealed that she met with Leire Díez, and on Wednesday at 9 a.m. the former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is summoned to testify as a suspect by Judge José Luis Calama.

Despite everything, the spokesperson for EH Bildu, Mertxe Aizpurua, one of Sánchez's main allies, has urged caution in the plenary. She has asked the PSOE leader to explain himself on June 24 regarding the alleged corruption cases, but has also warned that "there is an operation underway to overthrow the government and end the plurinational cycle." "We know well how the Civil Guard and the judiciary fabricate summaries for political operations," she stated, before adding that "it will not be us who facilitate the reactionary bloc reaching the government." That said, she urged Sánchez to recover the political agenda and take advantage of the remaining year to "advance socially" and recognize the "plurinational reality of the State." What purpose will "give meaning" to the rest of the legislature? Sánchez has maintained that this is an "uncomfortable government" for some sectors of the State, but has not clarified how he intends to reach the end.