Together is inclined to break with the PSOE and subject it to militancy

BrusselsThe Spanish government is asking for "time" from Junts and promises that it is working to fulfill all the points of Pedro Sánchez's investiture agreement. However, Carles Puigdemont's party is leaning toward breaking with the PSOE because it believes the relationship with the Moncloa government is no longer viable. This is the scenario for Thursday night, with the understanding that there are still three days left—Junts meetings at the highest level are planned—and it won't be until Monday that the party's executive committee is scheduled to meet in Perpignan to take stock and evaluate all the options. One of them, as has been announced The National And several sources confirmed to ARA, submitting the split with the PSOE to the membership. "If there's a decisive decision, we'll put it to a vote," said one of those consulted, also recalling that when they made the investiture agreement, it was also validated by the members. After Thursday's summit in Brussels, Spanish President Pedro Sánchez said that he "respects the internal functioning of the parties" and, when asked if he will meet with Puigdemont, he replied that he will do so "when the time comes." The PSOE is not giving up on everything, and knowledgeable sources suggest that it will "play hard" in the coming hours to avoid a split.

Upon entering the meeting in Brussels, Pedro Sánchez defended that his executive "is complying" with all the agreements signed with the party led by Carles Puigdemont and is working to ensure that those that do not directly depend on the Spanish government are fulfilled. "We're doing it, and [Juntos] knows it," responded Sánchez, who wants to downplay the pro-independence party's warnings. Thus, on the political level, the PSOE is trying to buy time. Sánchez has shrugged off the responsibility for, for example, the official status of Catalan in the European Union is stuck or the delegation of powers in immigration In the Generalitat, this has not yet become a reality. "There are agreements that do not depend exclusively on the Spanish government or the parliamentary groups that support the coalition government," the Socialist leader argued. It should be remembered that it was Podemos—along with the PP and Vox—who prevented the delegation of powers in immigration matters and that there are several member states in the European Union. led by a strong opposition from Germany, who oppose recognizing Catalan, Galician, and Basque as official languages in the European institutions.

In this context, Junts believes the time has come to make a decision, as November 9th will mark two years since the Brussels agreement. After the executive meeting in Perpignan, a press conference is scheduled for 5 p.m. to explain the meeting in Northern Catalonia and the conclusion reached in the coming hours. "Let him fool Rufián," a source from the Junts responds bluntly when asked about their opinion on the relationship with Sánchez. Other sources also believe the Socialists have already been given enough time and have not reacted.

The Moncloa sees "a certain theatricality"

Now, what does breaking with the Moncloa mean? They rule out an alliance to make a vote of no confidence with the PP and Vox to make Alberto Núñez Feijóo president, despite the fact that days ago, in an interview on RTVE, the party's vice president, Toni Castellà, opened the door to an "instrumental" vote of no confidence to make an independent president and call elections. The most likely outcome, according to several sources, is that Junts will decide to break away and it will materialize with a No to everything in Congress, assuming that the button to call early elections would remain in Sánchez's hands. One of the scenarios Junts fears is that any day the Spanish president decides to call early elections and they will be trapped in the same bloc as the rest of the partners in the plurinational majority with Esquerra.

Be that as it may, sources from the Moncloa downplay the risk of Junts' threats and attribute them to a "certain theatricality" and a "play on words," but in no case to a real ultimatum. Junts, however, emphasizes that this time it is serious. "Perhaps there should be less talk about schedule changes and start talking about the time of change," said Nogueras, five weeks after warning that the "extension" could not last the entire legislature. However, at this time, it is not known exactly what these threats mean. The Spanish president wanted to remind Junts that the alternative to socialism is the PP and Vox, which would lead the State and Catalonia to a state of "regression." "To go back not one hour, as the Junts spokesperson said, but 50 years," said Sánchez, who also insisted again that it is "indisputable" that the current Spanish government is "positive" for Catalonia.

The Prosecutor's Office's decision

This Thursday, in any case, another bucket of cold water arrived: the Prosecutor's Office has informed the Constitutional Court that it opposes the lifting of the arrest warrant against Puigdemont issued by the Supreme Court. The former president's defense had requested that this precautionary measure be granted so that the Junts MP could return to Catalonia without risk of imprisonment, while the Constitutional Court studies the high court's refusal to grant him amnesty for embezzlement.

In a document, consulted by ARA, the Public Prosecutor's Office asserts that the Constitutional Court's ordering the Supreme Court to annul the order would be equivalent to ruling in favor of Puigdemont before analyzing the merits of the case. It also denies that this order violates his fundamental rights or the right to political participation, as the defense had argued: "There is, therefore, nothing to restore in terms of the actor's personal freedom, which he enjoys as long as he voluntarily remains outside the scope of Spanish justice," it argues. According to the prosecutor, if Puigdemont suffers any "limitation" in his right to free movement, it is "due to his own fear regarding his personal situation in the criminal proceedings." And this, he concludes, cannot justify lifting the injunctions against him at this point in the proceedings, before the Constitutional Court analyzes whether or not the Supreme Court should have granted him the amnesty.

Feijóo remains silent.

Also from Brussels, PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo declined to comment on whether he would present a motion of no confidence against Sánchez, given that Junts is considering breaking with the Socialist Party. He prefers to wait and see what happens. "What will Junts do? It's up to Junts to make its decisions after two years of experimentation during the Sánchez administration," he stated. Feijóo emphasized that Sánchez is asking for time within Puigdemont's party to "continue the agony," but warned that "it is very difficult to reassure" his partners, given the court docket and the inability, he said, to pass new budgets.