Miriam Nogueras (Together): "The break with the PSOE is irreversible"
The regional assembly members warn that Pedro Sánchez "cannot govern," but again rule out a vote of no confidence.
BarcelonaOne day after taking another step in breaking with the PSOE, Junts has made it clear that the split is "irreversible." This was stated in declarations to TVE by the party's spokesperson in Madrid, Miriam Nogueras. "The Spanish government is the one that has led us to this irreversible break," she said. This Thursday, Carles Puigdemont's party announced the veto of about fifty laws from the socialists and Sumar in Congress.
Regarding the implications of the announced veto, Nogueras said that "when it breaks down, it breaks down": "Until the breakdown, we were in dialogue and reaching agreements. All of that is over," he emphasized. "Sánchez had an investiture majority and now he doesn't, and since he doesn't have it, and since he doesn't have it..." However, the members of the regional parliament continue to rule out joining forces with the PP and Vox for a motion of no confidence.
For now, the Spanish government has downplayed the challenge from Junts. Sources at La Moncloa reacted this Thursday with the same message they sent last Monday when Puigdemont announced that the party was breaking with the PSOE. "Openness to dialogue, always. The government remains open to dialogue with all parliamentary groups," they simply stated. Nogueras, however, was unequivocal this Friday. "The laws passed by the Spanish government were approved with Junts. From now on, this government will not be able to legislate." "We signed an investiture agreement, and we said that the stability of the legislature would depend on compliance with the agreements. And the vast majority have not materialized," she argued, emphasizing that "the debt that Sánchez's government owes to the Catalans is enormous."
Despite warning that there is no turning back, in a subsequent interview on RNE, the spokesperson admitted to recent moves by the state government on issues such as negotiations with Germany regarding Catalan in Europe and the processing of the law against repeat offenders that Junts presented in Congress. However, she said that she is "very pessimistic" about the agreements and that "starting to do things is not the same as fulfilling them," according to ACN.
Together they maintain that they will bring down such important laws of the legislature such as the Bolaños Law, reforming the judicial system; or the Official Secrets Law. However, it excludes from the veto those laws that are already being processed and for which –Nogueras emphasized– the party managed to secure commitments from the governing parties: the film law, the customer service law, the social economy law, and the sustainable mobility law, in addition to the royal decree on ALS patients.