Together they decide to break with the PSOE: "They may have power, but they won't be able to govern."

Perpignan / BarcelonaTogether for Catalonia "breaks" the pact with the PSOE. This was decided unanimously this Monday by the executive branch of the regional government at the proposal of former president Carles Puigdemont, who—as reported by ARA—spoke at the beginning of the meeting to defend ending the agreement with the Socialists. The leader of Junts believes that the pact with the PSOE has not been sufficiently fulfilled two years after Pedro Sánchez was sworn in, and that it must be made clear that the Spanish prime minister does not have a majority in Congress to govern. The entire Junts leadership unanimously endorsed the proposal, which will be ratified by the membership in a referendum on Wednesday and Thursday—a vote that will be called by an extraordinary national council this Tuesday.

The former president was responsible for publicly defending the decision in an appearance in Perpignan, but did not accept questions from the press. Puigdemont accused the PSOE of acting "in disregard of its parliamentary weakness" and of ignoring the "warnings and signals" sent by Junts: "There is no political trust." "We will exercise opposition," warned the former president, who considered the pact "broken" but held the Socialists responsible. "The PSOE is ultimately responsible; it, not Junts, holds all the levers of power within its grasp," he declared. "We have no vocation to bring stability to Spain. If things go well for Catalonia, let's talk, otherwise, goodbye." He concluded by addressing the PSOE: "It may have seats, but it will not be able to govern. It may have power, but it will not be able to govern." He added that the Socialists need to answer how they intend to continue governing the country if they do not have a majority in Congress. What the Junts leader did clarify is that they will not support the Spanish budget, but he avoided calling for an immediate election.

Now, what will this mean for the PSOE's day-to-day operations? Puigdemont did not accept questions from journalists in the chamber and, therefore, has not publicly specified whether they will vote "no" in each vote in Congress or whether they will maintain the negotiation space in Switzerland, although knowledgeable sources suggest that international mediation could be frozen following this decision. Before the press conference, Junts announced that there would be no time for the media to ask questions. In fact, the journalists were positioned at the back of the room, with the members of the Junts leadership standing in front of them, applauding the former president's speech.

Within the executive meeting in Perpignan, according to multiple members consulted by this newspaper, the majority of the leadership, as well as the party's permanent leadership yesterday, Sunday, noted that the relationship with the Socialists needed to change and that the negotiation process had not yielded the expected results. In his appearance, Puigdemont listed the breaches.

According to Junts, they range from the official status of Catalan in the European Union to the delegation of immigration powers, including the non-application of the amnesty and also the fact that there has been no explicit national recognition of Catalonia. "It is the PSOE, not Junts, that holds the levers of power," he said, shifting responsibility, for example, away from Podemos, which opposed the transfer of immigration from the Generalitat. Puigdemont has also attacked the president, Salvador Illa, accusing him of "Spanishizing" Catalonia and going against the spirit of the Brussels agreement.

In response to this, some members of the Junts executive have even called for not closing the door to the PP, although the leadership has rejected a motion of censure with the PP and Vox to make Alberto Nuñez Feijóo president. A scenario that Puigdemont has not publicly discussed either.

The latest conversations

Since Junts spokesperson in Congress, Míriam Nogueras, warned Pedro Sánchez that "the time for change" had arrived, the Socialists have moved to try to stem the rupture. This has materialized, in recent days, on three different fronts: the Catalan issue in the European Union, fiscal balances, and the implementation of the amnesty through the appeal for protection that Puigdemont has filed with the Constitutional Court. The first move came on Friday, when Spain and Germany issued a statement to formalize the agreement. that they "opened a dialogue" on the official status of Catalan in the European UnionThe Germanic country, governed by conservative Friedrich Merz, is the main opponent of this measure, which would also affect Basque and Galician due to translation costs. However, this statement was made to prop up a social democratic government like Pedro Sánchez's—despite being allies with the PP, the German conservatives don't want to hear a word. However, as ARA reported on Friday from German diplomatic sources, Germany's willingness to open a dialogue did not imply any change of opinion regarding Catalan.

The other piece that the PSOE has moved in recent hours has to do with fiscal balances. It agreed with Junts to publish the data, but did not do so in full, and, for now, the Generalitat, governed by the PSC, has not calculated them. According to the sources consulted, the meeting regarding the Junts and PSOE emissaries also did not go well. And finally, the other front the Socialists have activated has to do with the application of the amnesty law. The PSOE assures Puigdemont that the Constitutional Court must decide on his personal situation before spring, but the question remains to be seen what the Supreme Court, which will continue to be responsible for applying the law, will do. In fact, Junts sources lament that the siren calls for return have been heard for months, starting from the moment the amnesty was approved—and the Supreme Court decided not to apply it to the former president—until last spring, when it was also circulated that a window of opportunity was opening to end the exile. And it hasn't happened, they note.

Puigdemont's entourage was calling for an immediate return from exile, which hasn't happened so far: they demanded that the arrest and imprisonment order in force in Spain be suspended. For this reason, lawyer Gonzalo Boye had requested it as part of his appeal for protection to the Constitutional Court, but the court has so far rejected it. It denied the injunctions—without hearing from the parties—and is not expected to change its mind after hearing from all those involved in the proceedings. The Prosecutor's Office itself ruled last week against lifting the arrest warrant, while the opinion of the State Attorney's Office, which reports directly to the Spanish government, is still pending.