Moncloa avoids entering the clash with Puigdemont after putting a price on the investiture

2023-09-05 14:48:24

In parallel to the negotiations of Alberto Núñez Feijóo for his investiture, movements continue to be produced to gauge the real possibility of avoiding or certifying the electoral repetition on January 14. These possibilities inevitably happen because of the success of Pedro Sánchez, when he decides to try it, and also because of Carles Puigdemont who today has put a high price on his support: an amnesty prior to the investiture and a referendum. “If there is an agreement, it must be historic,” said the former president from Brussels.

The intervention from the European capital has been followed closely from Moncloa, aware that any option for Sánchez to be sworn in goes through an agreement with Junts, either for an abstention -if they manage to attract the Canary Islands Coalition- or for their positive vote, in case you don’t. An agreement that the acting president himself pointed out yesterday with all conviction that “it can, should and will be achieved.” Government sources understand that, after listening to the former president, “nothing has changed” and that Sánchez’s statements are still “fully valid”.

The Government’s attitude is one of “extreme prudence” and from the press room they have avoided entering into a clash with Puigdemont. Yes, two days after the general elections, from Moncloa they were categorical about their rejection of Junts’ demands to invest Sánchez. Today the same tone is not appreciated. The government spokesperson has had serious difficulties in establishing the Executive’s position in the face of the cascade of questions, all in the same direction, from the media.

Isabel Rodríguez has avoided pointing out whether Puigdemont’s demands fit into the Constitution and has even cut off the head of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, when -in his capacity as judge- journalists asked him for a legal interpretation of their constitutionality. Beyond pointing out that the Government is “at the antipodes” in its positions, the spokesperson has not departed from the argument: “To address this situation we have a tool, dialogue; a framework, the Constitution and an objective, coexistence. This model has given results,” he said.

The weather in Feijóo

In the Government they try to divert the focus and pressure, remembering that today is “the time of Feijóo”, who is officially commissioned by the King for the investiture, and that they are going to “respect the deadlines” to negotiate. Until the popular candidate fails, they will not take the initiative. “What we have seen – they say in the Executive after the meeting with Abascal – is that he only has a possible ally and partner that is Vox and the extreme right. It is clear that the investiture has no chance of success”, they have sentenced, for what that they ask him “to focus on attending to his orders instead of being a commentator” on the PSOE negotiations with Junts.