Sánchez urges Junts not to join the PP and Vox "blockade"

MadridPedro Sánchez was scheduled to appear before the Congress of Deputies this Wednesday to report on the latest international summits, his fight against corruption—at the request of the People's Party (PP)—and the state of public services. However, he used the session to appeal to Junts to reconsider its decision to break away and turned his speech In an attack on Alberto Núñez Feijóo's party and the governance it is carrying out, along with Vox, in most of the autonomous communities, Pedro Sánchez's intervention aimed to establish the following framework: that the PP and Vox's management is costing lives in the autonomous communities where they govern, while they dedicate themselves to a "destructive opposition beholden to the far right" in Congress. He does not want Junts to join this opposition: thus, he has asked the Junts members "not to subscribe" to this strategy of "blocking" in the Spanish Parliament. Míriam Nogueras, however, has reaffirmed her stance on breaking with Junts, and the PP and Vox have demanded elections due to the lack of a parliamentary majority.

Although the PSOE leader did not explicitly mention Carles Puigdemont's party, his meaning was clear. He questioned why some of the laws that Junts had proposed last week should be overturned. announced that he would veto"What reason is there to block the family law or the universal healthcare law?" he asserted. Thus, he urged them to return to the "spirit of the agreement." Furthermore, he boasted of the "social peace" he claims has been achieved under his government and reiterated his certainty that he will serve out his term despite the withdrawal of support from Junts. Sánchez spoke of the 2027 elections and appeared convinced of their viability. This was a nod to Junts, considering that former president Carles Puigdemont has been in exile for eight years. "You have appealed to the spirit of the agreement [...] We don't want spiritual agreements, we want action," insisted the Junts spokesperson. She criticized Nogueras for speaking on behalf of "Catalans" and Catalonia, pointing out that the leading party in the Principality is the PSC, and warned her: "We need your votes, but you also need ours [...] Will you make a pact with those who despise Catalan or want to end self-government?" This was a confrontation between Sánchez and Nogueras following the break with Junts. And what has become clear is that Sánchez has no intention of budging (he will remain in power despite the loss of support in Congress) and that Junts is also unwilling to back down. Sources at La Moncloa downplay the situation, claiming it is common in "parliamentary politics," although Sánchez could end up becoming the first president who fails to pass a budget during his term.

Contrast the model with that of the PP's autonomous communities

Sánchez sought to contrast his model—implemented from the national government—with that of the PP, as reflected in the public policies they implement in thirteen of the seventeen autonomous communities they govern, in addition to Ceuta and Melilla. In this regard, he asserted that the Moncloa Palace has mobilized resources to support the welfare state, but that if people haven't noticed the benefits, it's the fault of the PP, which governs in most of the autonomous communities and holds significant responsibility for public services. "While this is happening, Feijóo is looking the other way," Sánchez concluded.

"If we have allocated another 300 billion euros to public services and these are being transferred to the autonomous communities, why are waiting lists and the quality of public services deteriorating in many parts of our country?" Sánchez asked. "It's not an economic problem, it's an ideological problem," he declared. He cited the management of the Valencian Community (where he has again called for elections) as an example. The management of forest fires in Castile and León and Extremadura; and the errors in cancer screenings in the Andalusian Regional Government.

He focused, however, particularly on the Community of Madrid, where he quantified the transfer of funds from the Spanish government at 130 billion euros. "What has [Isabel Díaz] Ayuso done with that additional money? She has lowered taxes for the rich and signed contracts with private healthcare companies," he asserted. "They have turned Madrid into a casino where Quirón always wins," he said, referring to the increase in healthcare contracts with this group. This mention is far from innocuous: Ayuso's boyfriend, Alberto González Amador, is also under investigation for alleged business corruption and breach of trust due to his dealings with this group. In response to the accusations, the People's Party (PP) questioned the figures from top to bottom and accused him of trying to divert attention from the alleged corruption cases surrounding him.

Feijóo, between the lack of a majority and an election

Sánchez's attack has not changed the script for Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who has not hesitated to continue exploiting the legal cases that are cornering the PSOE and Pedro Sánchez - from the Cerdán case to the statement of the Attorney General before the Supreme Court. In fact, Wednesday's appearance came after the leak of other audio recordings of Leire Díez that point to the Socialists.The leader of the People's Party has accused Sánchez of being behind the "sewers" within the PSOE and, therefore, behind the "blackmail of prosecutors, judges and the UCO".

All of this, in Feijóo's view, cannot be "normalized," and he appealed to Junts and the PNV: "You know as well as I do that [supporting Pedro Sánchez] won't come without a price [...]. Who would have imagined that two centrist parties are responsible for the deterioration of Spain and Catalonia?" But what can Feijóo do? The leader of the People's Party has not proposed a motion of no confidence. In fact, he has acknowledged that he does not have a majority in Congress. Faced with what he considers a scenario of "paralysis," with Pedro Sánchez in La Moncloa (the Prime Minister's residence), elections must be held. "This is my option," Feijóo argued, even promising a "historic tax cut"—a promise also made by Mariano Rajoy in 2007—for home purchases if he comes to power in Spain. In that context, the leader of the far-right Vox party, Santiago Abascal, responded. "Don't start handing out ministries, you know what happened to you in 2023," he told him, alluding to his failed election victory because the majority ended up ousting Sánchez.