Madrid
The leader of the PP (People’s Party), Alberto Núñes Feijóo, practically announced the failure of his attempt to become the next Prime Minister of Spain when he addressed Congress this Tuesday (26). In an hour and 40 minute speech on Spanish television, the conservative declared that “not even the presidency of the government justifies the means.”
“I have the votes I can get to become president of the government, but I do not accept to pay the price they ask me to do so,” he said. Behind the sentence lies the fact that the PP does not support the possibility of an amnesty for separatist politicians in the Barcelona region who are facing trial after proclaiming Catalonia’s independence without legal basis in 2017.
The statement is not entirely true. Because if he got the seven MPs from the Junts, an abbreviation for the Catalan separatists, the ultraright Vox party with its 33 votes would not support him. Since the PP only achieved 137 votes in the June 23 elections, Feijóo relies on both alliances achieving an absolute majority (176 votes) to be elected prime minister on Wednesday (27) if after the speeches answers and rejoinders from all nine political groups, MPs will ultimately vote “yes” or “no” for Feijóo’s investiture.
On Tuesday, after his first speech, the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party) was the first group to demonstrate. Its leader Pedro Sánchez, who has ruled the country since 2018, was present but preferred not to comment.
For the current prime minister, the inauguration of Feijóo is a “waste of time” because the mathematics to achieve an absolute majority (in Wednesday’s vote) or a simple majority (in Friday’s vote) is not on the PP’s side .
However, his absence from the witness stand was seen as an unprecedented lack of respect by PP MPs. The PSOE reported that Sánchez would only speak at his inauguration, which could take place in October if Feijóo does not actually emerge victorious this week.
In his place, the Prime Minister sent Òscar Puente, the former mayor of Valladolid. “Why do you have more right to be president?” [do governo] than that I am mayor of my city? Neither you nor I won the elections,” Puente provoked, turning to Feijóo while Sánchez laughed.
Then it was the turn of Vox, the ultraright party that is Feijóo’s guarantor and nightmare at the same time. For months, the PP leader has been repeating on the podium that he does not agree with many of the party’s ideas, such as antiimmigration policy. Vox leader Santiago Abascal ignored the criticism and reiterated his support for the PP on the program, expressing hope that the two parties will govern Spain for the next four years.
After that, almost all statements for Feijóo were negative. Two lawmakers from Sumar, the group of small leftwing parties that was an early PSOE ally, said he would never become prime minister. “His alliance with the far right separates him from the country he claims to represent,” said Congresswoman Marta Lois. After Feijóo’s response, another MP, Aina Vidal, took over the rejoinder. “Investiture is about negotiations. You haven’t given up anything because you have nothing,” he said.
The fourth group to speak was the ERC (Republican Left of Catalonia), whose spokesman Gabriel Rufián said: “Just like you.” [Feijóo] If we repeat that he won the elections, the reality is that he cannot govern.
Junts, the party whose leaders are calling for an amnesty over Catalonia’s attempted secession in 2017, was the latest to speak out. “We need a historic agreement, the likes of which has not been seen since the fall of Barcelona in 1714. Today there are no conditions to reach this agreement,” said party spokeswoman Míriam Nogueras.
Feijóo responded again, all but assuming his inauguration would fail: “I prefer to postpone my victory so that it is also the victory of all Spaniards,” he said more than nine hours after the debate began.
This Wednesday, four more political groups will give their speeches and at the end of the day, MEPs will vote one by one on whether or not Feijóo should become Prime Minister of Spain.