"Surely this democracy will find the formula for governability," Pedro Sánchez transferred to the federal executive of the PSOE, meeting yesterday in Ferraz after the hangover from the party with which the Socialists celebrated the day before, until dawn, the results of 23-J.
With these words, the President of the Government, already in office, wanted to rule out the scenario of a blockade of the parties due to the devilish parliamentary arithmetic resulting from the polls, which forces a repeat of the general elections.
The leader of the PSOE came to take it for granted in this way, in any case, that he himself will opt, again, for the investiture as president.
But without haste, time to time. In the PSOE, for now, they prescribe that all the parties begin by analyzing and digesting their own electoral results, without precipitation. The 23-J polls, they say, sent messages to all political groups, which must now "rest."
First, the Popular Party. In Ferraz they do not contemplate, at least for now, a meeting between Pedro Sánchez and Alberto Núñez Feijóo. Perhaps in September, they allege, as events unfold.
Although it is evident that some socialist leaders are betting that Feijóo, and the entire PP, are cooking in their own sauce. The Socialists warn that there is an intense "internal noise" in the conservative formation. "It remains to be seen if Feijóo reaches the investiture," they point out. And they remember that, no matter how hard he tries, the leader of the PP already has the refusals in advance that would make his investiture impossible.
In the PSOE, however, they warn that if Feijóo chooses to go to the investiture, he will have to do it "hand in hand with the ultra-right" of Vox. “He will know”, they settle. "We are not in a hurry," they emphasize, referring to what will be the moment when Sánchez will ask for the time. No precipitation.
Some socialist leaders, in any case, emphasize the "humiliation" that in their opinion the leader of the PP suffered the day before, on the balcony of Genoa, when supporters interrupted him to acclaim Isabel Díaz Ayuso. And they suggest that Feijóo could follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pablo Casado, who was ousted by his own party when he faced Ayuso. "We are going to let the PP clarify itself," they point out.
In the PSOE they also highlight the electoral push that Salvador Illa's PSC once again demonstrated this Sunday at the polls. "The policy of the President of the Government in Catalonia, which has not at any time had the support of the PP, means that a constitutionalist party has more votes and more seats than all the independence movement together", stand out in the direction of Ferraz.
This is one of the lessons from the 23-J polls, which the Socialists urge Junts per Catalunya to analyze carefully. Remember, to begin with, that this party still has "two souls." And, in any case, they called on the formation of Carles Puigdemont to make "a reflection" on the electoral result in Catalonia.
"We are the first force in Catalonia and the Basque Country, and that is integrating Spain", they highlight in the PSOE.
Sánchez will not rush or take false steps. "Without rushing or racing," say socialist sources. Time to time, everything will work out. "That the people rest and enjoy the holidays", prescribed yesterday the leader of the PSOE. "The country has to rest", after months of high political tension.
In fact, given the indications he gave them, they all left the executive meeting with a priority: "Now, vacations," sums up a minister. "To rest", corroborates another leader, after the effort of two almost consecutive electoral campaigns, crowned with the good taste in the mouth of having blocked the way to a government of the PP and Vox that, before arriving at the appointment with the polls, already seemed to be distributing positions and ministries.
"They always tried to leave us for dead, but we are very much alive," celebrates another socialist leader. It is not the first time that Sánchez has been presumed dead, nor the first time that the PSOE leader has staged a resurrection against all odds. The Socialists highlight having won this 23-J one million more votes than in the last general elections of 2019.
And this electoral growth was the first thing that Sánchez highlighted yesterday before his people, who received him with great applause and heartfelt hugs. “Thank you, thank you and thank you”, he wanted to convey to the almost 11 million Spaniards who “have voted for progress”, by choosing the PSOE and Sumar ballots to stop the irruption of the PP and Vox in the government.
“This country has said no to involution and setbacks,” Sánchez celebrated. “And it is a reference for Europe and the world”, she highlighted. The echoes of the slogan that the supporters chanted the night before at the gates of Ferraz still resounded: "They will not pass!"
Sánchez congratulated himself on the electoral growth of the PSOE, in seats, in votes and in percentage. “It's not that we've reached 30%, but that we've reached 32%,” he said. The vote from abroad still remains to be scrutinized, and despite the fact that yesterday they assumed that nothing will change in the final result, the day before they still hoped that two seats would remain for the PP, even if the PSOE did not win them.
But the socialist leader called for a pause. He recalled that the new Cortes will not be constituted until August 17. Step by Step. Socialist leaders point out that, to begin with, "most likely" they will be able to retain the presidency of Congress, which is now held by Meritxell Batet.
And in the PSOE they also reduce the importance of the absolute majority achieved by the PP in the Senate: “It will force the processing of laws to be delayed, which will have to return to Congress, and for Sánchez to appear more often. But nothing more ”, they settle.
