The PSOE will certainly experience the most tense Federal Committee since Pedro Sanchez He is the president of the government.
The agreement between the PSC and the ERC which includes a unique funding model similar to the concert has caused the rejection of socialist federations and it is assumed that this Saturday they will be able to present their position before the supreme body between the congresses of the socialist party. Sánchez must explain to them that the Catalonia agreement is good for all of Spain and, above all, that its approval will not cause a setback for the PSOE in the rest of the country.
The harmony that has marked the PSOE federal commissions in recent years, characterized by absolute peace and the control of the secretary general, is broken. And Sánchez He has not yet explained his new turn, because until recently he and his team radically rejected a concert for Catalonia that would distance this community from the common regime.
There was not even a response in the Federal Committee where, a year ago, the socialist leader had defended the agreement in ERC and Junts for his investiture, which included the amnesty law. Despite the reluctance of the leaders of several federations, there was practically no reaction at that meeting.
We will surely not reach this tension Federal Committee of October 2016 which forced Sánchez, then leader of the opposition, to resign to facilitate the investiture of Mariano Rajoy with the abstention of socialist deputies.
But Sánchez will have to listen to some criticism from regional leaders about this pact that now awaits development in its details, including a difficult parliamentary process of reforming the Autonomous Communities Financing Law (LOFCA).
We will also be far from the previous Federal Committee, which the socialists remember as being “Funeral Committee“, which took place last April, while Sánchez was locked up in Moncloa and deciding whether or not to abandon politics due to the judicial investigation into Begoña Gomezhis wife.
Reviews
They are expected to intervene Emiliano Garcia-Page, President of Castile-La Mancha and former President of Aragon, Javier Lambanas the main critics of the Catalan concert.
The Asturian president will not be there, Adrien Barbonwho, however, publicly expressed his rejection of this agreement with ERC.
Yes, there will be other regional barons who will criticize the concert, such as Extremadura. Miguel Angel Gallardo and the man from Madrid Juan Lobato.
Everyone understands that the Catalan concert is a hard blow for the PSOE in their federations and that it makes it very difficult to overcome the complicated situation they are experiencing at a time of PP hegemony in their communities.
“By necessity, virtue”
The PSOE leadership claims to be calm about the situation, considering the criticisms of Page and Lambán as having been muted, and explaining that both have long opposed almost everything that Sánchez does. Page has already established himself years ago as the counter-power to Sánchez within the PSOE, armed with the only absolute majority of socialists in the autonomous communities.
Ferraz hopes that others, like Gallardo and Lobato, will clarify their position during the meeting, which will take place behind closed doors.
It will only be open Secretary-General’s opening speech in which, according to socialist sources, reference will be made to the “historic opportunity” of having a socialist as Salvador Illa at the head of the Generalitat, displacing the independentists from Catalan government and of Barcelona City Hallin addition to having succeeded in reducing them like never before at the polls.
This is the thesis of “making necessity a virtue” that Sánchez already used to defend the amnesty law and silence internal critics.
So far, the president has not commented on the matter, except to express his joy last July at a press conference in which he declined to give details when pressed.
This favors Sanchez proximity to the Federal Congress called for the end of November and subsequent territorial congresses, because this climate reduces the momentum of criticism.
Employer sources have encouraged the divergences within the PP regarding the financing system in recent days, precisely to normalize the debate that will take place this Saturday at the Federal Committee.
In principle, the number two in the government and the party is not expected to intervene, Maria Jesus Monteroresponsible for negotiation by the Executive.
