They claim that the photo did not bother them because they believe in the reunion and they rule out a call from Sánchez to Puigdemont
MADRID, 31 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Secretary of Organization of the PSOE, Santos Cerdán, met for an hour with the former president of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, this Monday in Brussels and they talked about the date of the investiture of the acting president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez and also other matters of further progress for the next legislature, according to sources from the PSOE leadership.
Cerdán and Puigdemont held a meeting in which they both confirmed that the negotiations to invest Sánchez are on track and agreed to continue talking in the coming days.
They also talked about the date of the investiture, but did not agree on a specific day, although the sources consulted consider that the investiture session will take place “soon” and even point out that starting next Sunday any day is good. At that time, the consultation launched by the PSOE to its bases to endorse the pact with Sumar and the rest of the parties will have ended and requires an amnesty for those involved in the process.
The idea they are considering, as they point out, is to first register the amnesty law and then hold the investiture session, which could take place next week according to sources from the Presidency of Congress.
On the other hand, in Ferraz’s leadership they point out that they have not been bothered by having to take a photo with Puigdemont, who has been in Belgium for 6 years fleeing from Spanish justice. In this sense, they point out that they believe in reunions and democracy and are convinced that governments have to give more than the rest.
In this way they face criticism for having agreed to go see the former Catalan president in Brussels, just as the second vice president and leader of Sumar, Yolanda Díaz, did two months before.
Regarding the photo and video of this Monday’s meeting, the PSOE make it clear that it was agreed between the two parties, although they have not given more details about the fact that they met in a room presided over by a photograph from the 1st of October 2017 in which a ballot box appears with which the illegal referendum was held.
The socialists limit themselves to pointing out that the photo was agreed upon, implying that they were satisfied with the images that were distributed, in which the entire photograph did not appear, only a part, and at no time is the urn visible.
On the other hand, they point out that the possibility of Pedro Sánchez making a phone call to Puigdemont is not on the table, despite the fact that he did carry out that gesture with the leader of ERC, Oriol Junqueras, who spent several years in prison for his participation in the process and was later pardoned.
Puigdemont did not raise this demand in the meeting with the socialist ‘number 3’ and in the PSOE they point out that it is not contemplated. Much less, therefore, a hypothetical visit by the leader of the PSOE to the Belgian capital.
