Tension over the anti-crisis decree: marathon of contacts and Sánchez cancels his trip to Moldova and Poland

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  • The Executive hurries the last hours and redouble calls to parties to ensure validation of the text. The president changes plans

  • ERC is inclined to reject the shock plan, while Citizens can be decisive if it moves from ‘no’ to abstention

Again on the wire. Once again an important vote in danger. The government is already less than 24 hours for the plenary session of Congress to rule on the royal decree law on response measures to the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine, and still does not have guaranteed support. That is why the Executive is trying to avoid the disaster by all means, redoubling contacts with the groups to ensure that the text does not come out lying down, because if the reading fell, it would be obvious: it would be a very painful defeat for Pedro Sánchez, a unmistakable sign of weakness. A sign of fragility in the midst of a storm over the ‘Catalangate’, at a time when the pressure of independence (and, specifically, of ERC) and United We Can rise every day, and right at the gates of elections in Andalusia in which the PSOE is playing to come back in a historic barn of theirs. That the plenary session in the Lower House has already become very difficult was evidenced by the president’s change of plans: around three in the afternoon this Wednesday, Moncloa announced that his trip to Moldova and Poland was postponedconfirmed just a few hours before and scheduled for this Thursday, April 28 and Friday, April 29.

In Moncloa and in the leadership of the Socialist Group they were aware in recent days that a vote that was presumed to be without complications was going awry. But in the last few hours everything has gotten worse. The ERC spokesman in the Lower House, Gabriel Rufián, left a clear message this Wednesday during the control session with the Executive: “For now, ask Mr. [Alberto] Casero”. That is to say, that the scenario of the diabolical vote on the labor reform could be repeated, when the Republicans rejected the text, which could only be saved by the error of that PP deputy. Sánchez asked the Republican parliamentarian “rebuild trust” and stressed his commitment to dialogue, but did not speak of an investigation commission or resignations, key demands of his partners.

But those words were worth nothing to ERC, and even less so after the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, slipped that the independence movement was monitored in 2017 and 2019, words that for the formation of Pere Aragonès and for United We Can is as well as “justify” espionage. The ‘president’ has asked for the head of the minister and the purple ones are not so explicit but they place her as the maximum person in charge of her and believe that political responsibilities must be assumed.

The pressure does not stop rising for the ‘Catalangate’. Aragonès calls for the fall of Robles and United We Can point to it because they understand that it is “justifying” espionage

Government saw the ears of the wolf and, not wanting to “depend on the PP”, intensified contacts with the groups. The Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, improvised the round first thing in the morning, after verifying in plenary the tone used by Rufián and Jon Iñarritu (EH Bildu) in their interventions during the control session with the Executive. The minister sent several ‘whatsapps’ and met with some spokespersons. Edmundo Bal (Citizens) was the first to go through the office. The orange party had announced this week that it would vote no to the decree.

Negotiation in progress

Bal demanded in the first place that the Executive extend the useful life of nuclear power plants, to try to mitigate the rise in the price of electricity, something that the minister flatly refused. Despite this rejection, the liberal deputy reminded him that there is still room to negotiate the abstention of Ciudadanos (9 deputies), which could be decisive in the vote tomorrow, Thursday. Specifically, he reminded him that he had already asked him more than a month ago to include other measures in the royal decree law, such as the adjustment of personal income tax rates to mitigate inflation, the extension of the VAT reduction for electricity until the end of 2022 or the removal of obstacles”bureaucratic” to invest in renewable energy.

Bolaños argued before Rufián that the ERC electorate would not understand that they did not support a decree that affects the lives of citizens

Bolaños then met with Rufián. According to sources from the sovereigntist formation, the head of the Presidency argued that the ERC electorate I would not understand that they did not support the shock plan for the war in Ukraine, which contains measures such as the bonus of 20 cents per liter of fuel, the cap on rents or the increase in the minimum vital income. But ERC does not share that reading and argues that the anger in the leadership and in its bases is capitalized by the alleged massive espionage of pro-independence leaders and activists.

Moreover, the party believes that in Catalonia an eventual no to the decree will not take its toll because its cadres and supporters feel very irritated with the attitude of the Executive. And especially with Robles. In the conversation with Bolaños, Rufián commented on the “claptrap” that the minister had poured out in plenary session. But the deputy did not want to confirm whether Sánchez’s right-hand man had excused or discredited his fellow Cabinet member, to be “elegant”, they indicated from his environment. Sources close to Bolaños refused to specify the content of the meetings, and simply indicated that the Executive is in contact with all the groups. ERC, in any case, will decide throughout the afternoon the meaning of his vote.

The PP, which has not yet clarified whether it will abstain or vote ‘no’, was in charge of convincing the Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero. On Tuesday, she phoned Juan Bravo, the party’s deputy economy secretary, to ask for his support for the decree. The popular leader replied that the Government already has, since last Friday, the fiscal plan proposed by Alberto Núñez Feijóo and that they could negotiate it. According to sources from the PP leadership, Montero told him that “he had not analyzed it & rdquor; and the conversation was closed without making any further contact to continue talking. These sources assure that they are not going to deliver “a blank check & rdquor; to the Executive and deny being afraid of appearing “as responsible & rdquor; that the measures decline. “They always try to threaten with that. Has no sense. The Government cannot pretend to say to the opposition ‘support me’ and that it be in exchange for nothing & rdquor ;, they pointed out from the conservative leadership.

Bildu, same as ERC?

But the Executive and the PSOE have also addressed smaller parties, such as Canarian Coalition, which does not move from abstention because the decree law, they emphasize from the party, does not include specific measures for the islands. His deputy, Ana Oramas, was called on Tuesday by the socialist spokesman, Héctor Gómez from the Canary Islands, and this Wednesday by the two from Bolaños, Rafael Simancas. The Socialists also hope that Bildu will not coordinate his vote this time with ERC and will at least abstain. The ‘abertzale’ formation, which has not met with Bolaños, recognizes that its will is for the shock plan to be processed, because, “even if it is insufficientcontains social advances and some positive measures”, but “the situation has become complicated in recent days and confidence is played between the groups“, So, now “all stages are open“.

Given the tightness of the numbers, Sánchez has been forced to postpone the trip to Moldova and Poland that he had planned for this Thursday and Friday

The numbers are already so tight that the president has had to change his plans. He was scheduled to be tomorrow, Thursday, around 4:00 p.m. in Chisinau, in the capital of moldova, to show their support for the country. But it won’t be like that anymore. From Moncloa they guaranteed this newspaper that the chief executive will surely be present at the vote, which is estimated to occur around 2:30 p.m. Electronic voting is no longer allowed except for illness, so your vote can be crucial. As a result, “the entire trip to Moldova and Poland is postponed [adonde iba a volar el viernes 29]a new date will be sought,” they point out in the president’s team.

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The situation is very delicate for Sánchez. If ERC and Bildu voted against the decree, and also PP and Vox, only Citizens could save the validation. But the presumption that the socialists make is that the popular (and even the extreme right) cannot afford to reject the text, because if the anti-crisis measures decline, it would have a direct hit in the lives of citizens the minute after the vote was shipwrecked.

The tension is maximum. Again.



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