The day Pedro Sánchez greeted Felipe González
MadridCarmen Calvo speaking with José María Aznar. Felipe González and Miquel Roca. Or the Queen greeting Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo. These are images only seen at celebrations like the one held this Tuesday in the Congress of Deputies, where all the institutions of the State come together to commemorate an anniversary. This Tuesday's event was special, as the Senate and Congress convened jointly to reaffirm that the 1978 Constitution is the longest-lasting in Spanish history. The Speaker of the Congress, Francina Armengol, offered words of praise, calling for everyone to "honor" the Constitution and "not let their guard down" in ensuring its effectiveness, while King Felipe VI affirmed that the path has been "brilliant" and will continue to be so "if we keep writing it." However, the attendance at the event alone suggests that this "together" journey has many nuances.
As usual, there was no representation from Catalan separatist parties or Basque and Galician nationalist parties; Sumar and Podemos attended critically – they did not applaud the king's speech – and Santiago Abascal was absent. In fact, it has become common for the Vox leader not to attend these events, using Sánchez's presence as an excuse, but with an underlying cooling of relations with the royal family. with whom he has disagreed in recent times. "Long live the king"," was heard as Felipe VI finished his speech;The bread republic when", could be read on the t-shirts of the Podemos deputies.
Even the greetings reflected the tension between the top leaders: the most obvious example being the perfunctory handshake between Pedro Sánchez and Felipe González. Only a few seconds passed, and there was barely any eye contact. It's the first time they've seen each other face to face since from last week's clashWhen the former Spanish president declared he would cast a blank ballot if elections were held, members of the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) invited him to leave. Perhaps one day that February 17th will be remembered as the day Pedro Sánchez greeted Felipe González. In fact, Patxi López has even said he wouldn't go to greet the former Spanish president. However, PSC (Socialist Party of Catalonia) deputy Pepe Zaragoza did, holding a three-way conversation with González and Miquel Roca, the former CiU (Convergence and Union) deputy in Madrid and one of the drafters of the Constitution.
Cocktail Hour
But once the ceremony was over, everything became more relaxed. Behind the chamber, the Congress waiters served a generous cocktail, and the greetings were more informal, longer, and predominantly friendly. groups With the media, a whole journalistic genre in Madrid. The negotiations in Extremadura have haunted Alberto Núñez Feijóo throughout the day, from his early morning breakfast at the Nueva Economía Fórum to the ceremony commemorating the oldest constitution in Spain. The People's Party (PP) is calling for a more de-escalation of the negotiations and for the focus to shift to reaching an agreement in Extremadura and then in Aragon. The message is clear: they accept that they must reach an agreement with Vox, but that it must be done quickly so as not to hinder the "change" they believe will eventually reach the Moncloa Palace (the Prime Minister's residence).
The King and Queen were the center of attention during the aperitif, greeting everyone who extended their hand and engaging in conversation. Feijóo himself had a standing chat with the monarch, while Queen Letizia made a point of greeting Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo. "The Queen's friend," one of the attendees quipped outside.
