Movement of Junts: let Sánchez take a step aside and another president be elected

MadridJunts per Catalunya has taken advantage of the Pedro Sánchez's appearance in Congress on corruption cases that splash the PSOE to make a move and put on the table a new roadmap to give continuity to the legislature. "Step aside and let this parliament appoint someone who does have the capacity to comply with 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 culminate the objectives for which it was conceived". This unexpected proposal comes weeks after the Junts leader in Madrid urged the Spanish president to dissolve the lower house: "What argument do you have left for not calling elections?", 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 member of parliament – who will remain at Moncloa until the legislature runs its course in a year's time and prevent the far-right from coming to the Spanish government. In fact, it is the same as Keir Starmer has recently done, who Monday he resigned as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In Spain the only precedent for this was in 1981, when Adolfo Suárez resigned and gave way to the investiture of Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo. The first attempt was on the day of the coup d'état of 23-F. In his reply, Sánchez has ruled out this scenario and has asked Junts to stop presenting scenarios "for show" and to ally with the PP in a motion of no confidence if they truly want him to leave.

Later, sources from Junts have emphasized that they have "sown the seed" and call for prudence and calm: "The definitive answer requires the necessary time for them to mature it well internally." They allege that this is the way to "avoid the arrival of the far-right" to 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 on a motion by Feijóo in Congress, this Wednesday they do not support the PP's initiative to call for Senate elections now. 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 circle, Junts's offer is an "occurrence" that means "giving a hand" to the PSOE. Sources from the popular leadership consider that the Junts simply try to "buy time". For their part, sources from Ferraz reply that Sánchez has "more than enough reasons" to continue governing and, as Sánchez has done, they challenge Junts to support a motion of no confidence if they dare to put the right in power.

If it has the votes, a motion of censure "this very day"

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 are focusing 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 called for the support of the Junts and the jeltzales: "We should oust this government with a motion of no confidence. For me, today", he urged. Likewise, he has limited 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 make any false moves. That is, they will not register the motion of no confidence without having the necessary support tied up for it to receive the green light. 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 go 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 no confidence for when? Or is it that they don't have courage?", he asked the PP deputies. "I can assure you that Junts is extremely committed", he added. Addressing Pedro Sánchez, the ERC spokesperson in Congress reproached the Spanish president for having "turned on the fan" and having "settled into the «And you more» with the PP and, even worse, into the «I didn't know anything»". And he challenged him directly: "Do you have sin? 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 is time for you to step aside", said the general secretary of the purples, Ione Belarra. "Disappointment after disappointment, every minute that passes it doesn't stop adding 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.