Together asks Sánchez to step aside and the president responds with the motion of no confidence

MadridJunts per Catalunya has taken advantage of Pedro Sánchez's appearance in Congress on corruption cases affecting the PSOE to make a move and present a new roadmap to continue the legislature. "Step aside and let this parliament put someone in who does have the capacity to deliver for Catalonia," Míriam Nogueras demanded during her speech. She considers the situation to be "unsustainable" and that the current Spanish president is the "main obstacle" for the legislature "to be able to achieve the objectives for which it was conceived". This unexpected proposal comes weeks after the leader of the Junts in Madrid urged the Spanish president to dissolve the lower house: "What argument do you have left not to call elections?" she asked him just two months ago.

Now the approach is different: instead of abruptly ending the legislature, Junts suggests that the majority that enabled Sánchez's investiture in November 2023 elect another president – who does not need to be a current deputy – who can remain in La Moncloa until the legislature expires in a year's time and prevent the far-right from coming to power in Spain. In fact, it is what Keir Starmer, who resigned as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on Monday, has recently done. In Spain, the only precedent for this was in 1981, when Adolfo Suárez resigned and paved the way for the investiture of Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo. The first attempt was on the day of the coup d'état on February 23rd. In his reply, Sánchez dismissed this scenario and asked Junts to stop proposing "for show" scenarios and to ally with the PP in a motion of no confidence if they truly want him to leave.

Later, sources from Junts emphasized that they have "sown the seed" and asked for prudence and calm: "The definitive response requires the necessary time for them to mature it internally." They argue that it is the way to "prevent the far-right from coming to power" in La Moncloa and "finish what was started" two and a half years ago. In parallel, in the Senate, they have distanced themselves from the Popular Party. While last week they noted the "blockade" of the mandate by voting for a motion by Feijóo in Congress, this Wednesday they are not supporting the PP's initiative to call for Senate elections immediately. To do so, they have asked the Popular Party to accept an amendment of theirs to demand that the amnesty law be made effective. The PP, however, has rejected this.

For Feijóo's team, Junts's offer is an "occurrence" that means "lending a hand" to the PSOE. Sources from the popular leadership consider that the Junts supporters are simply trying to "buy time." For their part, sources from Ferraz reply that Sánchez has "ample reasons" to continue governing and, just as Sánchez has done, they challenge the Junts supporters to support a motion of no confidence if they dare to put the right in power.

If it has the votes, a motion of no confidence "today"

During her speech, Miriam Nogueras made no allusion to a hypothetical motion of no confidence. Alberto Núñez Feijóo had referred to it, who has once again extended his hand to both Junts and the PNB – especially to Puigdemont's party, on whom they focus all their attention – to move forward with a motion of no confidence. He warned that they have become "accomplices" of the PSOE and that, if they continue like this, they will "end up being collateral damage". And he has once again openly demanded the support of the Junts and the jeltzales: "We should throw this government out with a motion of no confidence. For me, today", he urged. Likewise, he has circumscribed it to a subsequent and immediate call for elections: "Afterwards, we would be giving a voice to the people".

At Génova, they are clear that they will not take a false step. That is, they will not register the motion of no confidence without securing the necessary support for it to be approved. However, Feijóo has taken the pressure off himself: "Whoever prefers a corrupt government that lies over an honest one is the one who must assume the responsibility for this situation to continue". At all times, Junts has made it an initial condition for addressing it that Feijóo goes to Waterloo to meet with Carles Puigdemont, a possibility that the Popular Party has dismissed at all times.

"I ask you to look me in the eyes: did you know something?"

Gabriel Rufián has also referred to it: "The motion of censure for when? Or is it that they don't have courage?", he asked the PP deputies. "I can assure you that Junts is extremely dedicated", he added. Addressing Pedro Sánchez, the ERC spokesperson in Congress reproached the Spanish president for having "turned on the fan" and having "settled for the 'You too' with the PP and, even worse, the 'I didn't know anything'". And he challenged him directly: "Are you guilty? I ask you to look me in the eye: did you know anything? Have you stolen?", he asked him. A similar position to that of EH Bildu, although Mertxe Aizpurua made it clear that they will do nothing to "accelerate" the arrival of the right to power.

Podem has been the one who has called for elections. "Your cycle has ended, it's time for you to step aside", said the general secretary of the purples, Ione Belarra. "Disappointment after disappointment, every minute that passes, it continues to add votes to the PP and Vox", she lamented. For her part, the leader of the PNB in Madrid, Maribel Vaquero, warned Sánchez that after him "the grass may not grow". A week ago, the jeltzales urged him to call elections if he does not manage to approve the budgets.