The Socialists do not expect Puigdemont’s party to act against a government of progress because it would be difficult for them to explain
MADRID, 26 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The PSOE considers that the demands of Junts to support an investiture of the socialist leader, Pedro Sánchez – the amnesty and the self-determination referendum – are only a starting point and a message to the interior of its own formation, according to sources from the socialist leadership, who are convinced that they will achieve a majority to form a progressive government.
For this majority, an agreement with the party of former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont is essential, who remains on the run in Belgium with pending accounts with the Spanish Justice for the events that occurred during the independence process.
Thus, although they make it clear that the demands expressed up to now are not within the Constitution, they consider that it is a starting point and they see it as normal for them to make these requests, as a message to their own officials and militants that they are following the line drawn by the party.
In any case, they are convinced that there will not be a repetition of general elections, that there will be a majority of progress and, therefore, that they will be able to reach an agreement with all the necessary parties.
In addition, they see it as unlikely for Junts to enter into a dynamic of confrontation with the PSOE and very difficult for them to act against a progressive government because it would be difficult for them to explain to their electorate.
In this regard, they point out that it is worth remembering the result obtained by the PSC on 23 J, more deputies than all the pro-independence forces combined, before Catalan elections scheduled for 2025.
In Sunday’s elections, the PSOE achieved 122 deputies, which together with those of Sumar (31), ERC (7), Bildu (6), PNV (5) and BNG (1), all of them formations with which they have the possibility of reach an agreement, they add up to 172. Therefore they will need the Junts contest (7) to reach the majority.
It remains to be seen, depending on the result of the recount of the vote of the residents abroad, if they will need the affirmative vote of the pro-independence party or if their abstention will be enough.
In any case, the sources consulted insist on discretion in negotiations so that they can move forward and overcome internal contradictions. In this sense, they indicate that there are two souls in Puigdemont’s party, one in favor of boycotting the governability of the State and another more aware that repeating the elections would be disastrous for them.
In the PSOE, in addition, they try to downplay the importance that Junts has acquired in this negotiation and remember that other partners such as ERC can be upset by the prominence that it has acquired in this negotiation and that they are positioned as decisive.
In this sense, they remember that the rest of the partners are just as important and they are reluctant to position Junts as the one that holds the key to governance. “Everyone is needed,” they stress. And they also admit that this scheme that the PSOE manages to achieve support includes parties that compete with each other at the regional level, ERC and Junts in Catalonia and PNV and Bildu in the Basque Country.
For this reason, they consider it unlikely that ERC and Junts will establish a common front, as claimed by Aragonès’s party, since they do not have much in common and are also fighting.
Along the same lines, the sources consulted do not reveal whether formal negotiations for the investiture of Sánchez have already begun, but they admit that they are already “chatting” with the groups calmly and without anxiety to reach an agreement quickly. They insist, however, that they are not going to broadcast the conversations so that they can come to fruition.
On the other hand, regarding the step taken by Sumar, the party led by Yolanda Díaz to appoint Jaume Asens to negotiate with Puigdemont, in the direction of the PSOE they affirm that they found out about it through the press and that they are not negotiating on behalf of the Government.
In any case, they point out that there is good coordination between Pedro Sánchez and Yolanda Díaz to carry out the negotiations with the groups, a silent work and with parallel negotiations, as they specify.
On the other hand, from the PSOE they see it as feasible to carry out new General State Budgets for 2024 and they believe that there is still room since, according to what they say, they already have the experience of previous years that will speed up the process.
They think, therefore, that if the will on the part of the parliamentary groups exists, there is enough time until spring to draw up and approve new accounts, regardless of the fact that those for this year would have to be extended until those were ready. Beyond April, they add, it would not make sense because we would have to start thinking about the budgets for the year 2025.
