Montse Mínguez: "The Sánchez-Puigdemont photo is not on the table."

MadridMontse Mínguez (Lleida, 1976) arrived in Madrid as a deputy in 2019, after losing the PSC primaries in the capital of Segrià against the current mayor, Fèlix Larrosa. Six years later, she is making her debut as the first Catalan spokesperson for the PSOE, with the difficult challenge of representing the party in the midst of the Cerdán scandal. She speaks to ARA after the crucial debate in Congress in which the members gave Pedro Sánchez a respite.

Did you expect to become the PSOE spokesperson?

— Being the voice of the PSOE is a dream, especially at this time when we've demonstrated that we're a party that responds forcefully and immediately to causes that have little to do with socialist values. It was a surprise, but I'm very proud.

Is there a conflict of coexistence in Madrid?

— Yes, I see a very tense climate. But this policy of attrition, insults, attacks, and confrontation extends from the M-30 inwards, because there are leaders who set that trend. Yesterday [Wednesday] we saw Feijóo unleashed, not building a country but seeking tension. We have Mrs. Ayuso who is on the same page, and even a former president like Aznar, who talks about "whoever can do it, do it" and that the president of the Spanish government should be in prison. All this is being transmitted to a core of the population, with citizens entering this tension, and it's very regrettable, because that's not what politics is about. But the master of aggression and rudeness is Feijóo, who yesterday proved himself to be a desperate candidate.

Is this conflict greater than that of the Process?

— I experienced the Trial firsthand, and no one liked the situation. Fortunately, respect for coexistence, for those who are different, and for their ideas has been achieved. We have institutional and political normality in Catalonia thanks to understanding and building bridges, and that's what the right doesn't like.

Sánchez told Junts that the amnesty is the beginning of a path and that the political conflict is not over. Will there be any proposal to resolve it in this legislative session?

— The political conflict comes from another perspective. We have a spectacular record of seven years in government in terms of economic data, the labor market, and pensions; we are a European benchmark in terms of peace and cooperation, and we have also achieved harmony. Many of these measures are thanks to the agreement, and that's why I have great respect for the parties that support the investiture. What awaits us, if it ever happens, and I hope Feijóo never becomes prime minister, is political conflict once again.

Sánchez was referring to the political conflict over the Brussels agreement between the PSOE and Junts.

— The Brussels agreement is being finalized. We are honoring the agreements, whether with ERC, Bildu, PNV, or Junts. They are being implemented, and we are committed to continuing to work on them. Some are moving faster, others slower.

What does it mean for a member of the PSC to be a spokesperson for the PSOE?

— The PSC (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) contributes 19 deputies to the group. I'm just another member, and what we want is to move the legislature forward and deny that the government is finished.

Is it risky for Salvador Illa to have embraced Sánchez so closely, given the possibility of the Spanish government falling?

— We're not in this situation, on the contrary. There are two years until the elections, and we will work to ensure the government doesn't collapse. What President Isla and the other regional leaders want is to continue, and that's what we're telling Pedro Sánchez.

Are there voices within the PSC that have warned of this risk?

— No, no. I don't know.

Does the fact that the PSOE has chosen a spokesperson from the PSC mean that the PSOE considers Catalonia to be a nation?

— Yes, we're very clear about it. The federal concept also exists in the PSOE. We're not going to enter into a PSOE-PSC debate. The Constitution establishes the official languages we have in our country and speaks of the concept of nation. Our framework for coexistence is the Constitution and the implementation of the Statute.

Who will negotiate with Puigdemont from now on?

— I don't know, we've always talked about agreements and not about who reaches them.

Previously, it was Santos Cerdán. Will it now be his successor, Rebeca Torró?

— I can't answer this question. We're a team of people, and we explain agreements when they occur and can be made public.

Will there be a Sánchez-Puigdemont photo this year?

— I don't think it's on the table. It hasn't been requested. Perhaps we'll find a photograph of Puigdemont with Feijóo, right? On Monday, they didn't say whether Abascal would be vice president, and then they deny it. On one hand, we have Xavier García Albiol, who says we have to turn the page, that everything is fantastic, and that we have to go talk to Puigdemont; and, on the other, Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo... What does the PP intend to do with the progress made in coexistence in Catalonia? The amnesty is constitutional. They take all laws to the Constitutional Court, and when they approve them, they forget about them: it happened with same-sex marriage, euthanasia, abortion...

Were you surprised that the partners didn't put more pressure on Sánchez on Wednesday?

— Fifteen proposals were put on the table, the greatest legislative and political effort of democracy. That question should be answered by the partners, but Sánchez demonstrated that there is a national plan.

When will the measures be approved?

— Starting in September, we will begin the deployment.

And what about the reform for access to justice?

— We're keeping an eye on things. These days we're just talking about how things are going. Sometimes I'd be in a bigger hurry, but the negotiation is what it is.

And what about the reduction of working hours?

— The same. Work is underway to see if it can be included in the plenary session on July 22. If more time is needed, more time will be needed.

And what about the transfer of immigration powers to Catalonia?

— Same. It's all part of the agreement package.

Can the government continue until 2027 without a budget?

— I wish we had them. But in a country with economic growth and foreign investment, adjustments can be made to meet emerging needs.

If not all of these laws are passed, will the government be able to claim a parliamentary majority?

— The government has a parliamentary majority. It has passed 36 laws, and the remaining ones. 88% of the votes are still being passed. Yesterday demonstrated that there is a majority and that we have a plan for every adversity. And it's good that our partners are making contributions.

But beyond the laws already passed, we'll have to keep passing more, right?

— Yes, as until now.

Do you rule out Sánchez submitting to a vote of confidence or resigning if he realizes he doesn't have the majority?

— It is a future that does not exist right now.

The sexual harassment allegations against Paco Salazar were revealed by a media outlet on the day of the federal committee meeting. Are you concerned about friendly fire within the PSOE?

— The only thing I know is that the PSOE's reaction was immediate and sharp. We tell women that they must overcome their fear, that there are laws that protect us, and that a group of women will support and protect them. And we tell men that we are a feminist party and that there is zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Have you experienced sexist behavior in the PSOE?

— I've been a member of my party for 23 years. I've never experienced this, but I don't deny that it can exist. And I want to emphasize that the necessary mechanisms exist to help women, and I encourage them to report it.

How do you explain why Cerdán maintained until the very end that he had nothing to do with the Koldo plot?

— You'd have to ask him. We've acted, and it's not up to us to assess every single thing he does or every single thing that happens to him. When the sentence is handed down, that's the time to make that assessment.

Do you have 100% confidence that Sánchez didn't know anything?

— Yes, yes, absolutely. Sure.

And the PSOE hasn't been financed illegally?

— Sure.

Would you resign from your new position if it were discovered that Sánchez turned a blind eye or that the PSOE was illegally financed?

— This is not going to happen, this is not going to happen.

Do you know why Sánchez dismissed Ábalos in the summer of 2021?

— The president must answer this, and he has said it many times.