Puigdemont and the Junts executive unanimously decide to break with the PSOE.

PerpignanThe Junts executive meeting got underway early this morning in Perpignan to decide whether to break with the PSOE. The meeting featured a speech by former president Carles Puigdemont, who outlined his vision of the current situation, as he has been the central source of all information regarding the relationship with the Socialists in recent days. According to several sources consulted by ARA, Puigdemont has internally advocated withdrawing support for the PSOE, listing the breaches that, in his opinion, have occurred since they signed the investiture pact two years ago in Brussels. In his opinion, it must be made clear that Sánchez does not have the majority to continue governing, and he has received the approval of all the Junts leaders. In other words, the entire leadership has supported Puigdemont.

This is how the Junts leadership meeting began, where all its members had to explain how they view the situation. According to multiple members consulted by this newspaper, the majority of the management, as well as the permanent management as of yesterday, Sunday, realized that the relationship needed to change.

What does it mean to break up?

It will also be necessary to specify what the break means and what it means, since relations with the PSOE until now were already severely damaged and the junta members have already lost several votes in the Spanish government. It means voting No To all initiatives? Should they stop meeting in Switzerland? This is something the executive branch will also have to clarify throughout the day, and then at 5 p.m. with Puigdemont's own press appearance.

A motion of no confidence with the PP and Vox is another matter, though it's not on the table for now, although some are calling for not locking themselves into pacts with the PP.

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.