Junts asks Sánchez to step aside and the president responds with the motion of censure

MadridJunts per Catalunya has taken advantage of Pedro Sánchez's appearance in Congress regarding the corruption cases that tarnish the PSOE to make a move and put a new roadmap on the table to ensure the continuity of the legislature. "Step aside and let this parliament put someone in who does have the capacity to fulfill commitments to Catalonia," Míriam Nogueras demanded during her speech. She considers the situation "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 leader of the Junts party 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 member of parliament – who will remain in Moncloa until the legislature ends in a year's time and prevent the far-right from coming to power in Spain. In fact, it is the same as Keir Starmer recently did, who on Monday resigned as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. 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 of 23-F. In his reply, Sánchez has dismissed this scenario and asked Junts to stop proposing scenarios "for show" and to ally with the PP in a motion of no confidence if they truly want him to leave.

Later, Junts sources have stressed that they have "sown the seed" and ask for prudence and calm: "The definitive response requires the necessary time for them to mature it well internally." They allege that it is the way to "avoid the arrival of the extreme right" at 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 "blockage" of the mandate by voting for a motion by Feijóo in Congress, this Wednesday they have not supported the PP's initiative in the Senate which proposes to call elections – they were absent during the vote, thus avoiding taking a position. To do so, they had asked the popular party to accept an amendment of theirs to demand that the amnesty law be made effective. The PP, however, has rejected it.

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 members are simply trying 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 the Junts members 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 supporters, 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 openly called again for the support of Junts and the jeltzales: "We should remove this government with a motion of no confidence. For me, today", he urged. Likewise, he has framed it within a subsequent and immediate call for elections: "Afterwards, we would be giving the people a voice".

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 securing the necessary support for it to be approved. However, Feijóo has relieved himself of the pressure: "Whoever prefers a corrupt government that lies over an honest one is the one who must assume the responsibility for this situation to be prolonged". At all times, Junts has made it an initial condition for addressing this 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 no confidence for when? Or do they not have the 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 "settled for the 'You too' with the PP and, even worse, for the 'I didn't know anything'". And he challenged him directly: "Do you have a sin? I ask you to look me in the eye: did you know anything? Did you steal?", 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 is 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 lilas, Ione Belarra. "Disappointment after disappointment, every minute that passes does not 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". Seven days ago, the jeltzales urged him to call elections if he does not manage to approve the budgets.