Junts does not budge and reaffirms that it will vote against the path to stability that will be debated this Thursday in the Congress of Deputies. Those of Carles Puigdemont open the way to a new budget extensiongiven the resignation of the PSOE, which already considers the battle practically lost. “We have said it clearly. If the same proposal that was voted against is presented, it will obviously be voted against. If it is modified, the modification will be analyzed and the vote will be decided. No one should be surprised,” said the secretary general of postconvergentJordi Turull. The red line drawn by the pro-independence party is practically insurmountable. The path to stability, which sets 0.1% deficit target for CCAA for the next three years, was approved by the Council of Ministers two weeks ago. Its modification will require canceling the process to restart it, something that Moncloa rules out.
Unless there is a last-minute change, the government will be forced to extend – for the second consecutive time – the 2023 budgets. The socialist executive has already begun to transfer the pressure to the Popular Party. Its spokesperson, Esther Peña, denounced that the rejection of those of Alberto Núñez Feijóo would remove 12 billion euros of funds from the CCAA and the City Halls over the next two years. “If the PP votes against it, it is likely that the government will lose the vote, but Feijóo will lose the opportunity to present himself as a state politician,” Peña denounced on Monday.
Despite the “no” of the popular vote, all the tension is rising around Junts. The PSOE has tried to negotiate a change of scenario with itself former president of the Generalitat, a few days ago in Switzerland. Sánchez sent the number three to Ferraz, Santos Cerdán, to redirect the situation without much success. “We are not discussing meetings, but agreements. We will communicate when we have to communicate, but there is nothing new,” insisted Esther Peña, who did not rule out a last-minute agreement. “The Brussels agreement (in exchange for the investiture of Pedro Sánchez) was reached at dawn and at 11 in the morning we were communicating it,” he recalled. Ferraz, however, will try to reach an agreement until the last moment. Socialists and independentists would have an open channel, whose conversations would take place in the most absolute secrecy.
Moncloa paves the way for parliamentary defeat
However, pessimism is evident within the government itself. Several ministers have begun to present the 2023 budgets as a positive roadmap. “Not having others would not be a drama or an obstacle for the legislative body,” said the head of Transport, Óscar Puente, in statements to the newspaper. The country“It is obvious that there are some good budgets that the coalition government has already approved, but of course, I insist, the obligation is to try to get the budgets out,” said the Minister of Digital Transformation and Public Service, Óscar López, in an interview with ‘The Hour at 1 p.m.’ RTVEFrom Moncloa, they insist that under the presidency of Mariano Rajoy there have been several budgetary extensions, and recall that the Executive may modify items in the 2023 Accounts, to rebalance income and expenditure to respond more precisely to the challenges that will arise next year.
On Wednesday, First Vice President María Jesús Montero will face a tough scrutiny session in the Congress of Deputies. Several spokespeople – including Podemos and PP – will also question the head of the Treasury on Sánchez’s governability without parliamentary support. The ERC spokesman already did so last week in the Lower House. Gabriel Rufián asked the president: “How long do you think the legislature will last in the last session of government scrutiny?” Sánchez answered the question as best he could. “Legislatures, as prescribed by the Constitution, last four years, so we have three left,” he noted from his seat. Government sources insist that Sánchez will exhaust the legislative power, even if he will ultimately be forced to extend the budget.
