The Spanish government rules out a Sánchez-Puigdemont meeting

MadridThere will be no meeting between Pedro Sánchez and Carles Puigdemont to mend relations between Junts and the PSOE. The pro-independence party had already indicated this week that it would not resolve the situation, and this Friday the Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, echoed this sentiment, stating in an interview on TVE that this hypothetical meeting between the Spanish president and the Junts leader "is not relevant." When asked directly if it would help to halt negotiations, he was categorical: "I don't think so." If this meeting hasn't taken place, it's probably because neither side has been interested. Junts has opted for a break, believing that the negotiations with the PSOE have yielded no results and, therefore, a Sánchez-Puigdemont meeting would have represented a kind of alliance against the move to the opposition that Junts has decided upon. And Moncloa Palace rules out the possibility of the Prime Minister traveling abroad to meet with the former Catalan president, who would be arrested if he were to set foot in Spain. Sánchez has repeatedly stated that he made a commitment to meet with Puigdemont almost two years ago, when he signed the amnesty agreement, but conditioned it on the law being applied to him.

"We demand the application of the amnesty so that all the leaders of the Process can participate in politics," Bolaños insisted in the interview. However, this is still months away. In the week of the break announced by Puigdemont, the Spanish government reiterates that it continues working towards compliance with the agreements and downplays the Junts' decisionGiven his confidence that when it comes time to vote on laws in Congress that are good for Catalonia, the seven pro-independence members of parliament will have to be present. "Everything can be resolved with work, dialogue, and negotiation," Bolaños emphasized.

Sánchez, "strengthened"

The Minister of the Presidency looked radiant the day after the Sánchez's appearance before the Koldo/Ábalos case investigation committee In the Senate, he asserted that the president emerged "strengthened and very triumphant." "We saw an opposition that has nothing, that resorts to rude and ill-mannered language and attempts to smear the institutions. To cover up their lack of a plan, they insult us," Bolaños said regarding the PP's behavior during the questioning. The climate between the Spanish government and the main opposition party has become even more strained on social media, with insults exchanged between the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, and the PP's official account.

The confrontation is total, and on Thursday night Telemadrid, the public television station of the Community of Madrid, which has been heavily criticized for its alignment with Isabel Díaz Ayuso, joined in. One of its presenters most critical of Sánchez, Antonio Naranjo, began the program wearing a clown mask to mock the Spanish president's statement that the Senate commission investigating the Ábalos case was a "circus."

It remains to be seen whether this has been a turning point in Spanish politics. The People's Party (PP) had high hopes for Sánchez's appearance, but all that remains is the anecdote about the Prime Minister's glasses, which he wears in private and professional settings and which he chose to show to the committee. In desperation, the PP has gone so far as to criticize Sánchez for even "lying" about whether he needs glasses for reading. However, the Supreme Court decision to order the National Court to investigate The cash payments from the PSOE to José Luis Ábalos and Koldo García give a boost to the PP's pressure on Sánchez regarding alleged corruption.

Alberto Núñez Feijóo intended to use the Spanish president's appearance in the Senate to overshadow the state funeral for the victims of the DANA storm in Valencia, perhaps the final blow to Carlos Mazón's political career. "He has no political future. The question is whether [his departure] will be his decision, the PP's, or if the Valencian people will oust him," Bolaños clarified. "The fundamental reason for his departure is that his presence causes pain," insisted the minister, who was visibly shaken by what happened on Wednesday during the tribute to the victims, where Mazón was booed and insulted.

The renewal of the TC

In the Senate, negotiations between the PSOE and PP are expected to take place at the end of the year to renew the Constitutional Court. Four justices appointed by the Upper House in 2017 are due to expire, although Bolaños has already stated that the conservatives will not be willing to agree on the replacements. A three-fifths majority is required to elect them, and therefore the two major parties should reach an agreement, but those in Moncloa suspect that the PP will block it. Why? "The PP is fantasizing about achieving an election result that would allow them to appoint the four justices," Bolaños told TVE. In other words, the PP would like to wait until the next elections to see if they can secure a three-fifths majority in the Senate and thus overturn the current majority on the Constitutional Court.