The Government appeals to the support of its partners before Feijóo's no to the decree

There are 24 hours left for Congress to submit for validation the decree on energy saving measures approved on August 1.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
23 August 2022 Tuesday 16:32
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The Government appeals to the support of its partners before Feijóo's no to the decree

There are 24 hours left for Congress to submit for validation the decree on energy saving measures approved on August 1. But the government is not yet guaranteed the support of any group other than the two that make up the government. For now, the Executive only has the confirmation that the PP, Vox and Ciudadanos are going to vote against their proposal.

The minister spokesperson, Isabel Rodríguez, assured in the press conference after the Council of Ministers that "she is trying to contact the groups", but that the summer vacations have not favored these dialogues. A version that contradicts what its partners, PNV and ERC, maintain, who assure that they had barely received calls from the Government to carry out the decree.

In the absence of the conversations that may take place throughout today, the Executive of Pedro Sánchez entrusts the validation of the decree to the responsibility of the rest of the groups. "The public would not understand the refusal of any political group to these measures," warned the speaking minister.

An appeal with which they want to put the investiture partners in the position of placing themselves alongside the denialism of the PP, if they finally decide to reject the decree tomorrow. "The Spaniards have surpassed the PP in responsibility," Rodríguez sentenced yesterday, while summoning Alberto Núñez Feijóo to "explain whose side he is on." In this sense, he referred that among the measures included in the decree is the increase in scholarships by 400 euros, or free transport passes. Hence, the minister invited Feijóo to go to the Atocha station to explain to users that they will not have these aids to get around, or to a student who will not have a scholarship.

All this leads the Government to respond to the Popular Party, which yesterday said that it would only vote in favor if "the frivolous measures it contains" are removed from the decree, that for "frivolity, the way in which the main party of the opposition". For the Executive, Feijóo maintains an "obstructionist and denialist" attitude.

For this reason, Rodríguez reminded the leader of the PP that the decree responds to "Putin's threat that he wants to close gas to Europe", since Russia is "using energy policy as another weapon". He also warned him that the Government thus fulfills its commitment to Europe, and the President of the Commission Úrsula von der Leyen, who is from the EPP, has praised the Government's proposals.

The energy saving measures will be "complemented" with a contingency plan on which the Government is working, as explained yesterday after the Council of Ministers. Rodríguez, for his part, ruled out, as requested by the PP, extending the useful life of nuclear power plants. On this issue, the minister urged the PP to combat climate change with different initiatives and not with past policies such as "those embraced by Feijóo."