Sánchez's announcement fuels misgivings in the investiture bloc

The closing of ranks that seemed to be sensed these days ago in the investiture block deflated yesterday as soon as the outcome of Pedro Sánchez's reflection period was known.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
29 April 2024 Monday 10:21
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Sánchez's announcement fuels misgivings in the investiture bloc

The closing of ranks that seemed to be sensed these days ago in the investiture block deflated yesterday as soon as the outcome of Pedro Sánchez's reflection period was known. What 72 hours before were calls for unity and messages of encouragement to defend both the coalition government and its "transformative agenda" mutated into suspicions and reservations due to the "lack of concreteness" and the "absence of content" that some and Others say it is necessary to eradicate any shadow of “personalist tactics”, after the “umpteenth pirouette of the President of the Government”.

The first to show her reluctance was Yolanda Díaz. Although Sánchez's willingness to continue leading the Executive provides stability to the coalition, the leader of Sumar called on the president to "change course" to "govern more and better."

The Minister of Labor even put initiatives on the table such as changing the majority system of the Judiciary, to overcome the blockade of the Popular Party, or the reform of the gag law, although, without microphones, sources in the space admitted certain misgivings and even They warned of the crossroads in which Sánchez has placed the PSOE: “If it is not filled with content, today's announcement (yesterday) will age poorly.” And power “if not used, will eventually be lost, they predicted.”

Sumar's reading was not far from that carried out by ERC. The Republican parliamentary group has not questioned its support for the Government in this eventful legislature, but given what happened yesterday, distrust grows in the face of any possible trick that the President of the Executive may be hiding: “It would be a bad example if he left because it was not a resignation.” , it was a surrender. And it is still a bad example if he remains without doing anything because it will have been an act of frivolity and not something true,” said his parliamentary spokesperson, Gabriel Rufián, through X.

The absence of plenary sessions due to the Catalan electoral campaign emptied the offices of the Junts parliamentary group, although those of Carles Puigdemont did not hesitate to denounce the “serious irresponsibility” of using emotions. Even more so if, as they suspect, Sánchez has done it for “electoral tactics” and to “interfere” in the regional elections in Catalonia.

The ongoing negotiation between PNV and PSE for the formation of a Government in Euskadi conditioned the reaction of the former. His spokesperson in Congress, Aitor Esteban, used pragmatism to conclude that “the best thing that can be said is that everything is over and now we have to continue working.” Although at the insistence of the journalists he ended up describing as “unusual” the waiting period opened by the socialist leader to whom he even lectured, with a view to the future: “Episodes like this are unnecessary.”

Bildu, for its part, celebrated the continuity of the President of the Government. “Pedro Sánchez's announcement and the necessary pending regeneration of the Spanish State must represent an opportunity for Basque society,” said EH Bildu spokesperson, Mertxe Aizpurua.

The last, but no less harsh, warning to Sánchez came from Podemos. The general secretary, Ione Belarra, once again reproached the PSOE for the little empathy it showed with the lawfare suffered during the last legislature by several of its leaders. She also doubted Sánchez's willingness to face the serious problems that threaten Spain by "not having offered a single solution despite having the country in suspense for five days."

Iglesias himself was in charge of packaging Podemos's position, summarizing what happened as “ridiculous.” “By not announcing any type of political response, he limits it to a personal situation and, indeed, it is somewhat ridiculous to say last week that you are going to think about whether you leave and to say today solemnly that you are not leaving,” he declared, leaving it hanging in the air. any parliamentary support from Podemos to the PSOE if it does not first present “concrete measures” for that point and aside announced by the President of the Government.