The 'demon' Puigdemont coveted by the PP and PSOE

BarcelonaOne of Alberto Núñez Feijóo's biggest blunders since becoming leader of the PP came during last year's Galician elections: in his home region, relaxed, in an informal meeting with journalists, he verbalized the conditions for pardoning Carles Puigdemont. A few days later he backtracked: "I do not accept pardons, nor will I." Feijóo has demanded Puigdemont's arrest, but he has also congratulated him on favorable court rulings; he has asked for his help in ousting Pedro Sánchez from La Moncloa, even admitting to "indirect contacts" with the Junts party, while at the same time criticizing the PSOE for negotiating with them, and he has taken advantage of the situation to add the PP's votes to those of Junts when it has been necessary to defeat the Spanish government. These seemingly contradictory moves make sense, given that Junts' votes became essential for forming majorities in Spain. Without Puigdemont, the PP can't get anything done for now. Neither can the PSOE, whose past statements, if you look back at the archives, reveal a string of similar compliments and insults directed at the former president of the Generalitat. With these ingredients, curious episodes like this week's occasionally arise, when both the PP and PSOE not only negotiated with Junts but also approved in Congress an initiative to toughen penalties for repeat offenders, a law that will need to be ratified soon. The PSOE's reasons for coveting Puigdemont are clear. Junts has announced its break with the Spanish government, and without them, neither the budget nor any other relevant legislation will pass. Nor will Podemos. For days now, the Spanish president himself has been announcing concessions to Junts and agreeing with their grievances. Another strategy by Sánchez to try and prevent the legislature from completely derailing, a strategy that Junts doesn't quite trust.

The PP's moves

But what interest could the PP have in reaching out to Junts? In the short term, a motion of no confidence seems out of the question, but weakening the Moncloa Palace might require the cooperation of Puigdemont's party. Maintaining an open channel of communication is a strategic move, also with an eye toward future elections in which the PP doesn't want to be exclusively tied to Vox.

The problem in understanding this week's move is that the PP added its votes to those of the PSOE. In fact, without the PP, the initiative wouldn't have passed and could have been interpreted as another Socialist defeat. The PP denies that there are any structured negotiations with Puigdemont, one devil For their voters, but the Popular Party and the Socialists flirt so often that they place Junts in a centrist position from which, for the moment, the Junts members haven't reaped much benefit.

The week's details

Francisco Camps wants to return as president of the Valencian Generalitat. Taking advantage of the leadership crisis caused by the incompetence of the now-resigned Carlos Mazón, the former head of the Consell feels strong enough to prevail in the internal struggle that, unfortunately for him, will ultimately be decided by the leadership in Madrid. His supporters are optimistic and have already created a campaign anthem for him using AI:One member, one vote"

President Salvador Isla's official trip to Mexico has drawn criticism from the opposition. The head of the executive branch participated remotely from Mexico in follow-up meetings regarding African swine fever. However, he did not connect to the executive council meeting, which was exceptionally chaired by Minister Albert Dalmau, because remote participation was not planned.