Míriam Nogueras, spokeswoman for Junts, two weeks ago urged the president of the government, Pedro Sánchez, to think “about the moment of change”. This Thursday the bridges between the socialists and Carles Puigdemont’s party were blown up. The spokesperson of the independence party in Congress assured, in a press conference whose appeal had raised many expectations, that the legislature “is blocked” and announced its rejection of all the laws currently being drafted. This includes both those who are on the table of the Council of Ministers, and those who are expected to follow their parliamentary path. “There will be no more collaboration, no more negotiations,” the spokesperson said, claiming that more than 50 initiatives will remain in limbo, “unless the PSOE reaches an agreement with the PP or Vox.” The support of the seven Junts deputies in Congress is essential to form the majority necessary to carry forward the initiatives.
Nogueras, accompanied by the other six deputies of the group, was also frank in saying that the Government will not be able to approve the General State Budgets – which have not yet been presented – nor laws such as the one popularly known as Bolaños Law Or”Begoña Law”as the MP referred to the PSOE’s initiative to limit popular accusations. “The door was closed by the PSOE and Sumar by not respecting the agreements. If they haven’t done it in two years, I don’t think they will do it now,” he argued. Puigdemont’s supporters cited the amnesty law, the recognition of Catalan in Europe or the transfer of immigration powers to Catalonia as “clear examples of the PSOE’s lack of commitment”.
Government sources have assured that they will keep their “hand out” for Puigdemont’s training. Regarding the “non-compliance” with the agreements, they argued that “the initiatives that depend exclusively on the Executive have been implemented or are in the process of being implemented”, while they “continue to work” on those that do not depend on him.
Junts has registered amendments to all 25 laws presented to Congress by the Government and will not vote in favor of the 21 that are finishing their drafting. He will also veto new proposals that have already passed through the Council of Ministers when they arrive in Parliament.
Among the laws to which they have tabled amendments are the Family Bill, which seeks to recognize the diversity of family models and improve work-life balance; that of confidential information; laws to improve the national health system; an amendment to the Organic Law of the University System which aims to regulate the external academic practices of university students and the law on the prevention of alcohol consumption by minors, among others.
Nogueras pointed out that three of the laws still waiting to be drafted are accompanied by a written agreement with Junts before the end of the collaboration is announced and that “the party wants these agreements to be respected.” In this way, the only four laws that the Catalans will approve will be the Customer Service Law – which will impose the presence of co-official languages in the communities where they exist -, which will be discussed next Thursday in the Chamber together with the Sustainable Mobility Law – which returns to Congress after the 86 amendments presented by the PP in the Senate -, the Social Economy and the Cinema Law. Furthermore, they will support the Royal Decree on ALS which guarantees 500 million euros for the treatment of people suffering from this disease.
In a very harsh intervention, the spokesperson explained what was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Puigdemont’s side: “A week has passed since we announced the end of collaboration with the Government and Pedro Sánchez has not shown up to explain how he will govern without the parliamentary majority.”
He also accused the PSOE of wasting what he called “a historic opportunity”, after 19 meetings abroad, and argued that the socialists acted “as if nothing was happening to stay in power”. “It appears that the PSOE and Sumar have decided to stay in power in order not to govern,” the spokesperson said. He wanted to make it clear that there is no room for negotiation and specified that “not a single call” had arrived to talk about the stability objectives or the Budget.
Junts’ announcement has relaunched the opposition’s discourse. PP spokesperson in the Senate, Alicia García, reiterated that Sánchez should call elections. García believes that the Executive is “a farce” and that it is maintaining a “failed legislature” as best it can. The popular spokeswoman avoided answering whether she will present a motion of censure: “What Sánchez should do is give the Spanish people a voice to decide which government they want,” she concluded. Óscar Martínez Martín reports it.
All this comes on the day in which the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of the Spanish judicial system by rejecting the arguments presented by Oriol Junqueras, Jordi Turull and Jordi Sánchez, against the decision to order them to enter provisional prison after the 1-O referendum and to prevent them from participating in the regional elections of December 2017. The order constitutes a step backwards for the three pro-independence politicians since by refusing preventive detention they violate their political rights and freedom of expression. The European judges made it clear that Junqueras, Turull and Sánchez were the subjects of criminal proceedings for serious crimes, so they could not expect to participate in political life.
Added to this is the emergence of Aliança Catalana, the far-right, pro-independence party led by Sílvia Orriols, which has skyrocketed in the polls. Junts is trying to find a strategy to counter the advance of a party which, according to polls, threatens to gain ground in the next municipal elections.
On October 30, the Junts base, which has 6,300 members, according to the latest official data, ratified the management’s decision to end the investiture agreement with the PSOE. 87% of consultation participants supported the decision. The consultation began with a three-hour meeting in which pro-independence party heavyweights decided to withdraw their support for the socialists.
A few days earlier, Junts’ spokesperson in Congress had invited President Sánchez to think about “the moment of change”. In an interview with EL PAÍS last Sunday, the deputy assured that “this is not an ultimatum. It is not a warning, it is a rupture” and added that “the legislature cannot reach 2027 because Sánchez does not have the majority”.
