Sánchez, prepared to resist: "We will not accept lessons"

Madrid / BarcelonaPedro Sánchez faced the most difficult year-end review since arriving at La Moncloa seven years ago this Monday. In his usual pre-Christmas address, the Spanish Prime Minister began to break down the report. Fulfilling He outlined what his government has accomplished in the last six months, but first he spoke frankly about the crisis that is cornering the PSOE and, consequently, the Spanish government, a result of the alleged cases of corruption and workplace and sexual harassment within the Socialist ranks.

From the outset, Sánchez defended himself: "We will not accept lessons," he stated, referring to the right and the far right. But he also showed himself willing to resist. The head of the Spanish government does not foresee early elections, that is, before 2027, but neither does he foresee a major reshuffle of the cabinet, as demanded by Sumar. The junior partner, in fact, described the president's appearance as "insufficient" and again asked him for a "profound change."

But the next changes will be specific and dependent on the regional election calendar, Sánchez himself pointed out in an informal conversation with journalists during the traditional Christmas reception at Moncloa Palace. The first will be the replacement of the current spokesperson, Pilar Alegría, the Socialist candidate in the elections on February 8 in Aragon. Sánchez already has another woman in mind to replace her.

In the opinion of the Spanish Prime Minister, despite the difficult times his government is experiencing, "this coalition government is in the best interest of the Spanish people," especially considering that the alternative is a PP-Vox government: "It would be the biggest historical mistake for Spain," he said during his appearance. One of the "milestones" Sánchez is clinging to in order to defend the rationale for continuing the legislature is the arrival of the latest European anti-pandemic funds, some 25 billion euros. This allocation, given the difficulty (and near impossibility) of approving a national budget for 2026, represents a lifeline in terms of being able to continue injecting public resources into the economy.

The other "milestone" is seeing the amnesty law finally come to fruition. At La Moncloa (the Prime Minister's residence), they are confident that the final ruling of the CJEU (Court of Justice of the European Union) will be in line with the opinion of the Advocate General of the EUBeyond the potential consequences for Carles Puigdemont's return to Catalonia, this would represent an important opportunity to rebuild the relationship with Junts. Sánchez knows that the position of Junts, as well as that of the other parties that elected him Spanish president, is key to his goal of serving out his term.

Photo with Junqueras and agreements with Junts

In this regard, the Spanish Prime Minister has begun to make moves, especially after increasing pressure from the investiture bloc in recent days and hours for him to take action. The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) has even suggested holding general elections in 2026. Regarding the Catalan parties, Sánchez has agreed with the leader of the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), Oriol Junqueras, to meet in January. "I will meet with him. It is my duty and my responsibility," he stated during the press conference. This would be the first meeting, at least publicly, between the two political leaders since Pedro Sánchez became Prime Minister. Sánchez and Junqueras held a phone call in which the Republican leader also "suggested" to the Spanish Prime Minister that he initiate a round of talks with the other investiture partners, something the Prime Minister has not ruled out. As explained by ERC spokesperson Isaac Albert at a press conference, the Republicans plan to address the "compliance" with the agreements reached for the investiture at the January meeting. These agreements include the special financing model for Catalonia and ways to "democratize the institutional spheres" of the State, as well as reforming the PSOE. Regarding the relationship with Junts, it is completely broken, and in fact, the idea of a new interlocutor is not even being explored. However, Sánchez is trying to rebuild bridges by addressing some of their demands. This Monday, he expressed his willingness to publish the fiscal balances "soon," but also announced that work is underway to make Catalonia and the Basque Country "associate members of UNESCO and the World Tourism Organization." However, while Esquerra is asking the executive branch for gestures to resolve the crisis, Junts is unwilling to talk with the government. In fact, the spokesperson for the regional assembly has ruled out participating in any potential round of talks with the Spanish government: "We already said that, once the Brussels agreement was broken, we wouldn't negotiate, we wouldn't meet."

Credit at stake

Sánchez, who arrived at La Moncloa after a vote of no confidence against Mariano Rajoy's (PP) government due to the Gürtel case, is risking much of his credibility on how the open cases in the courts for alleged corruption, which are plaguing his inner circle, may evolve. In this context, he has defended his actions as having been "transparent and decisive" and "cooperating with the justice system." He contrasted this response with the approach of the People's Party (PP): "[The PP] doesn't act, and if you don't believe me, let's remember why [Pablo] Casado is no longer the party leader." For their part, Alberto Núñez Feijóo's party has dismissed the assessment at La Moncloa as a political "rally." But Sánchez is also risking much of his credibility regarding the feminist struggle, which he has always championed, and which is now being called into question by theavalanche of sexual harassment complaints within the ranks of the PSOEwhich has triggered a series of dismissals and resignations. Here too, he boasted of the "forceful" response: "Sexual harassment and complaints don't have a party affiliation, but the forceful response to it does have an acronym, and it's the PSOE," he argued.

However, in this end-of-term sprint, Sánchez hasn't hesitated to boast about the macroeconomic data, although access to housing and the cost of groceries continue to be a major headache for many families. He has also touted the social measures his government is promoting, such as the announcement of a single pass for traveling throughout the StateA commitment that was first made just over a year ago. At Moncloa Palace, they've been working tirelessly to ensure that the message of effective governance resonates more strongly than the message of weakness stemming from the fires they're creating.