Together allies with the PP to confirm Sánchez's blockade

MadridWhile the judicial investigation against José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero progresses, with the indictment of his daughters and his secretary, the PSOE has suffered a symbolic setback in Congress due to Junts' pincer movement with the PP and Vox to approve a motion from Alberto Núñez Feijóo's party that states the "extreme weakness" of the Spanish government. After the progressive table of the lower house vetoed an amendment by the Junts members two days ago, which added a demand for an early election, Carles Puigdemont's party has aligned itself with the Spanish right and far-right against Pedro Sánchez, even though the motion did not ultimately include any contribution from them. At the same time, despite losing this vote – which has no practical effect – this Thursday's plenary session in the lower house ended with applause from the socialist benches because they had saved others and survived this annus horribilis, marked by the judicial agenda.

The Spanish executive has managed to approve two decrees and also keep two bills alive. Despite voting alongside Puigdemont's party on their motion – the PNB and Coalición Canaria, for their part, abstained, and the rest of the multinational majority rejected it – the PP voted against the amendments in their entirety by Junts and the Basque nationalists against the Spanish education law, which aims to lower class sizes and which, in their opinion, constitutes an invasion of competencies in their respective autonomies. The fact that the Popular Party and also Vox rejected them has allowed the Spanish government's initiative to continue its parliamentary processing. In parallel, Junts has saved the Spanish government's film law by rejecting, alongside the rest of the multinational majority, the amendments in their entirety by the PP and Vox.

the decision of PSOE and Sumar to block it in Congressthe decision of PSOE and Sumar to block it in Congress.

The warnings from the Junts members this week do not worry the PSOE or make them change their opinion regarding the objective of exhausting the legislature. "Everything is fine. Party by party and week by week," say socialist sources, who claim they are still managing to push through votes. The displayed closeness between Junts and the PP does not make them fear a derailment of the legislature because, for now, it does not materialize in a no-confidence motion with real effects. The leader of the Popular Party has assured from Brussels that he maintains "real-time contacts with all political formations," including Junts, but popular sources downplay its scope and admit that despite the posturing, they have no prospects of causing a tectonic shift in the short term.

Precisely this assumption has provoked criticism from Vox, the other piece necessary for the PP to gain more support than Sánchez. Far-right deputy José María Figaredo has denounced that the amendments from Junts and the PP were "smoke" and criticized that it is a movement that "has no material strength or impact." "A motion of no confidence must be presented," he demanded, and warned Feijóo not to be complacent when he speaks of hypothetical alliances with them for the next legislature, because "there is a very high risk that Sánchez will win again" if they let their guard down. Meanwhile, ERC spokesperson in Congress, Gabriel Rufián, has once again said that Junts is colluding with the PP and Vox in Congress "against the people of Catalonia."