"Better not to answer", they acknowledge in the leadership of the PSOE in the face of the escalation of criticism they receive from their coalition partner in the Government, United We Can, either for the reform of the law of only yes is yes, the escalation of the price of the shopping basket or the arms aid that Spain provides to Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion. Although in Ferraz they also admit that this rise in tone of the purple formation, on all the fronts on which it collides with the PSOE, "are not gratifying."
Minister Pilar Alegría, in her role as spokesperson for the executive and the electoral committee of the PSOE, has assured this Monday that "certain types of demonstrations must be framed at the moment in which we are in the electoral process, less than one hundred days from the municipal and regional elections", after the recent statements by Minister Ione Belarra, general secretary of Podemos, in which she urged the Socialists to rectify the "mistake" of the war escalation in the face of the war in Ukraine. "Her words from her must be framed in this electoral process," Alegría insisted. The socialist minister has even described this escalation of criticism that the purple formation is displaying as “pre-election props”.
Given the proposals put forward by United We Can to reform its flagship law on Sexual Freedom, after more than 500 sexual offenders have seen their sentences reduced after the entry into force of this rule, or to lower the price of the shopping cart , Alegría has assured that the PSOE is willing to study any idea raised by its coalition partner. Provided, of course, that these are "possible and solvent measures." To a good understanding, there are plenty of explanations.
Alegría has tried at all times, however, to reduce the noise that the PSOE coalition with Unidas Podemos has been producing in recent weeks, already in the final stretch of the legislature. The socialist minister has warned that the coalition executives always demand a higher level of dialogue between the partners to achieve "consensus", without being able to avoid the occurrence of "dissent". But it has emphasized the almost 200 legislative initiatives already approved during this legislature, including three consecutive general State budgets and reference laws, such as labor reform, the Democratic Memory law, increases in the minimum professional wage or the revaluation of the pensions according to the CPI, the same as the greater investment for scholarships that will be approved tomorrow by the Council of Ministers. All of them negotiated and agreed between the PSOE and United We Can.
In Moncloa and in Ferraz they take it for granted that, no matter how much it raises its tone, Podemos is not willing to break the coalition government led by the PSOE. Although they admit that a possible agreement between the partners on the reform of the law of only yes is yes is not in sight before this thorny debate reaches the plenary session of Congress, on March 7. Just the eve of 8-M, Women's Day.
In the PSOE, however, they warn that, even if they do not reach a last-minute agreement with Unidas Podemos, they will not be left alone in this reform with the Popular Party. For now, in fact, both the PNV and the PDECat have stated that they will support the bill registered by the PSOE. In the socialist direction, in any case, they assure that they would like to agree on this reform with all the investiture groups, including also Unidas Podemos, Esquerra and EH Bildu. "This would be desirable and what we are going to work for," they acknowledge.
