What do ERC and Junts agree and disagree on in Congress?

MadridIt's no secret that the relationship between ERC and Junts, especially in the Congress of Deputies, is often stormy. One of the few displays of unity during this legislative term was the approval of the amnesty, which was not without its difficulties and moments of disagreement. It's also no secret that the understanding that has become evident throughout this term between Junts and the PP on economic matters has aroused suspicion among the Republicans. But to what degree do the two pro-independence parties agree on their own proposals? ARA analyzes point by point the votes on the initiatives or amendments promoted by Junts and ERC in the first two years of the Spanish legislature.

To begin, let's look at the figures. Regarding the laws, in committee there have been 86 votes on amendments proposed by ERC and 59 votes on modifications suggested by Junts – these are not the number of amendments as such because on more than one occasion they were voted on grouped together, and those related to the customer service law have not been counted because not all were registered. Herein lies a first major difference: ERC voted in favor of Junts' amendments in 66% of cases, and Junts voted in favor of ERC's in 52% of cases. Míriam Nogueras' party abstained 23 times and voted against 18 times, while Gabriel Rufián's party abstained 10 times and voted against 10 times.

Multiple recidivism and seasonal rentals

There are issues that have generated particular friction between Junts and ERC, and two have been in the news in recent weeks. At the beginning of December, Junts secured the support of the PP and the PSOE for to channel the law against multiple recidivism which, among other things, aims to punish mobile phone theft with one to three years in prison. ERC remained outside the negotiations and abstained from the vote in the Justice Committee. Furthermore, nine months ago, the Republicans voted against the Junts per Catalunya bill. allow express evictions of squattersIn contrast, ERC did support the ELA law and the delegation of powers in immigration.

On the other side of the scale, Junts distanced itself from the regulation of seasonal rentals. He derailed the first attempt, agreed to process a new initiative with some tweaks, but a month ago He deviated from the norm Despite pressure from left-wing parties – just last week the Parliament approved a regulation in the same vein and Junts voted against it. Also in Madrid, Míriam Nogueras's party abstained on ERC's proposal to raise taxes to reduce real estate speculation, but they did ally with the Republicans to make playing for the Spanish national team voluntary. guarantee multilingualism and linguistic rights vis-à-vis state institutions and to prohibit reselling below cost in the food supply chain. In these three cases, voting in favor of the bills allowed them to pass their first parliamentary hurdle.

Amendments and more amendments

In the amendment votes, the echo still resonates unprecedented vote on the fiscal package which Pedro Sánchez promoted in the fall of 2024. Junts introduced some modifications: ERC abstained, among other cases, on the reform of the bank tax, the tax cut for SMEs, and the 100% social security bonus for non-profit sports organizations. And Junts voted against the proposals of ERC—and Bildu—to maintain the bank tax and the energy tax—which later buried it for good along with the PP and Vox—for making tourist accommodations pay VAT and for raising the personal income tax on capital gains exceeding €300,000.

But there have been many more examples. With the gender parity law, ERC voted against Junts's proposal to delay its implementation until 2030 for polling stations—the original text set it for 2026—and for company boards of directors—for 2028. And Junts abstained on the Republicans' request for a minimum of 40% women in party leadership positions—and that this should be a condition for access to public funding—as well as in union leadership and on the RTVE news council. With the food waste law, ERC opposed postponing the entry into force of the general obligations it contained for one year and applying a 0% tax rate to donations from individuals to charities. And the Junts members voted against supermarkets incentivizing the purchase of products with a near-term or best-before date. Regarding the basic law for forest rangers, Junts abstained on the changes proposed by ERC to allow them to identify individuals in certain situations, require the administration to provide them with legal defense and assistance, civil liability insurance, and recognize the "technical difficulty, danger, physical exertion, and toxicity" of their work. Two final cases: ERC abstained on Junts' proposal—which ultimately passed—to allow healthcare personnel working in aerial environments to retire early, and rejected the repeal of the decree regulating the distribution and prescription of medications.

Commuter rail, taxes and Kosovo

The other chapter concerns the non-legislative initiatives voted on in plenary sessions—these are non-binding and serve to set obligations for the Spanish government. Throughout the legislature, ten proposals from ERC have been voted on. In total, there have been 53 votes: Junts has voted in favor 37 times (70%), against seven, and abstained on nine occasions. For example, there was complete agreement on the twenty points proposed by ERC regarding the "fight against corruption, the state's dirty tricks, and judicial warfare," and almost complete agreement on a text concerning "the worsening railway chaos" in Catalonia: both parties joined forces to denounce the "structural and persistent nature" of the push for the "full transfer" of the commuter rail network. Míriam Nogueras and Gabriel Rufián did align themselves to demand a report from the Moncloa Palace on the application of the Democratic Memory Law and to demand that Catalonia "collect and manage" all taxes.

For their part, the Junts party brought six proposals to a vote, with three in favor, two against, and one abstention from the Republicans. ERC supported Junts' initiatives to recognize Kosovo as a sovereign state, to fulfill outstanding commitments regarding the Ebro Delta, and to design an exclusive Mediterranean freight corridor. However, the Republicans voted against tightening the requirements for paternity leave for foreign seasonal workers, reducing VAT on funeral services and telecare, and introducing new inheritance tax breaks and further deductions for the self-employed. They also abstained on the request to mobilize €15 billion for those affected by the recent torrential rains in the Valencian Community. After the Christmas holidays, it remains to be seen what will happen with the funding: Esquerra Republicana hopes to reach an agreement with the PSOE, which Junts will have to vote on in the Congress of Deputies.