The Spanish government offers Junts to process the housing decree as a bill to include changes later

MadridThe Spanish government and Junts are engaged in an unprecedented standoff in Congress, with the possibility that Pedro Sánchez might even call early elections if the housing legislation fails this Friday. The Junts members agreed yesterday at their national executive meeting to vote against the two decree-laws that the executive has agreed upon with the left, as they do not agree with the measures they incorporate. However, they made a final offer to the Spanish government: to withdraw the legislation and sit down to negotiate with more time. The Spanish government completely rules out this scenario, but the Minister of Housing, Isabel Rodríguez, from the Congress podium, has made them a final offer: that they abstain this Thursday, endorsing the two housing decree-laws, and that they be processed as bills in Congress to later introduce changes.

"Today you will be judged by your votes," challenged Isabel Rodríguez to Junts, who were listening attentively from their benches. "It is the moment of truth," she continued with a grave tone, "it is the time to fulfill the needs of the Catalans." The Minister of Housing defended that within the first decree-law she is presenting this Friday in the chamber there are measures that Junts has proposed —the second one regarding indefinite rental contracts has no chance of prospering because the PNB and Coalición Canaria will also vote against it— and for this reason, she advocated that they at least abstain. "Are you with the vulture funds or with the people," summarized the Minister of Housing.

She cited, for example, tax deductions for tenants or owners, or the protection of the "small property owner." An analysis that Junts does not share because they believe that the PSOE included measures at the last minute, due to the pact with Sumar and the left-wing parties, that go against what they defend. The spokesperson for Junts, Míriam Nogueras, gave voice to this, starting her intervention by asserting that the new legislation will not serve to fulfill its objectives. "They will produce the opposite effect," she asserted. "We have the responsibility to tell the truth, whatever the price of doing so," she continued. In this sense, she asked the Spanish government again to withdraw the two housing decree-laws and sit down to negotiate "behind closed doors."

The PNB announces a critical yes

The PNB has expressed itself in the same way, although it will indeed endorse the Spanish government's decree-law out of "responsibility". The spokesperson for the Basque nationalists, Maribel Vaquero, has announced a "critical yes", but with misgivings: she considered that there are "black holes" and that it is not good to legislate in a rush. In her view, the legislation favors the protection of those who already have a rental contract, but does not facilitate access for those who cannot enter the market. "We need small landlords", said Maribel Vaquero, spokesperson for the Basque nationalists.