There is only one day left until Congress holds a crucial vote on the government. And for now, the validation of the three decrees passed by the Council of Ministers at the end of December is hanging by a thread. The executive does not have the simple majority needed by the plenary to ratify the texts on which both the continuity of anti-crisis measures and the receipt of 10 billion euros of European funds depend. The Moncloa is accelerating contacts with both the Junts and the PP, two of the groups most resistant to pushing forward the initiatives. Both have set their conditions. However, after examining them, government sources believe it is feasible to adopt only some of the demands of Carles Puigdemont's party.
The government wants to validate three decrees: the decree that extends a large part of the anti-crisis package until 2024, the omnibus decree that includes other measures related to the receipt of European funds – such as the digitalization of the judiciary – and a third funded by the Ministry of Labor. The executive branch, which has not yet convened, requires a simple majority with more yes votes than no votes. Confirmed, for now it has the votes for the 121 seats of the PSOE, the 26 of Sumar, the 7 of ERC, the 5 of PNV, the 6 of EH Bildu and the Canary Islands coalition for the anti-crisis decree measures. That is, 166 supporters of the entire parliamentary circle, consisting of 350 deputies. Regarding the other two texts, the equation repeats itself, except in the case of national training, which involves studying the document that affects the judiciary and processing the third as a bill. In any case, their deputies will not pose an “obstacle.” Podemos, with its five seats in the Mixed Group, remained uncertain about its position on Monday. If the Junts voted in favor and that of Ione Belarra against, the decree would not be implemented since there would be 176 votes against and only 173 votes in favor.
On Monday, the government showed its willingness to implement changes in the three decrees in question by subsequently processing them as a bill. All legislative decrees must be validated by Congress within a period of one month from their approval by the Council of Ministers. Until then they are provisionally valid. However, there is also the possibility that the government will promote their later processing as draft laws in order to incorporate amendments – i.e. changes – requested by the parliamentary groups. This path is approved during the plenary session where the decree is voted on and then the editing process begins, which can take months. During this entire period, the decree remains in force in its current form.
In the tense negotiations between the government and various parties, there are several parties that have called for changes to the texts. But not all in the same way. First of all, Junts is not prepared to treat the decrees as draft laws: he calls for the texts to be withdrawn and six new monographic decrees to be drawn up. Government sources flatly rule out this request and PSOE organizing secretary Santos Cerdán confirmed this on Monday at a press conference at party headquarters.
In addition, Carles Puigdemont's training requires some adjustments in terms of content. Junts claims that the text, which affects justice, “endangers” the application of the amnesty, since the changes provided for in Article 43.bis of the omnibus decree would lead to the paralysis of judicial proceedings when a judge submits a preliminary question to the Court provides the European Union (ECJ). However, despite Junts' rejection, the decree does not seem to bring about any changes in terms of the standard of grace, since the case law in Community law is well established and the courts always put the proceedings on hold when a preliminary question is raised that has implications for them.
In this sense, sources from the Socialist leadership exclude a negotiation on this point, a demand of the European Union, emphasizes the executive. A position that directly clashes with that of Puigdemont's party. “The judicial leadership cannot be allowed to postpone the application of the amnesty law. “If someone has to be pardoned before the judiciary, that is his problem, but under no circumstances will he do it with the votes of the junts,” party spokesman Josep Rius said in Barcelona on Monday. ERC does not believe that there is a problem with the amnesty or the prejudicial matter as the government claims and therefore voted in favor of it.
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In his demands, Junts also proposes maintaining the 5% VAT cut on electricity and gas instead of increasing it to 10%. The aim is also for Catalonia to receive a higher share of funding for the digitalization of the judiciary and negotiating powers compared to the other autonomous communities, which independence supporters believe are limited by some measures. The government is ready to examine issues related to funding and regional powers. The problem is that the executive branch wants to adopt all changes as legislative changes. Junts refuses.
In addition, encouraging companies to return to Catalonia and sanctioning those who do not do so and who left during the process is one of the conditions that Junts per Catalunya has fulfilled to present this Wednesday in Congress on the proposals of the to vote for the government. Pedro Sanchez. This is how Josep Rius, spokesman for Junts, explained it this Tuesday morning in Ser Catalunya, without naming any companies: “We propose to encourage the return of these companies so that they can return with tax advantages, and those who do. ” This is not possible. “If they do it but are more active in Catalonia, they will be punished.” This is despite the fact that Junts has always maintained that the exodus of companies has no impact on the Catalan economy. “The decision of some companies to move their headquarters has no real impact on our economy,” Carles Puigdemont said in parliament in October 2017, amid a political crisis. “What seems very complicated to understand is that the central government is keeping in force a decree that is damaging to the Catalan economy,” Rius said, referring to a regulation the PP passed in 2017.
Feijóo: “We will not fix the misrule”
Regarding the PP, according to sources, the Secretary of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, spoke with the Secretary General of the PP, Cuca Gamarra, whom he called twice – once on Sunday and once on Monday morning – to negotiate her support for the initiatives from both Formations. Second Vice President and Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz, in turn, contacted PP spokesman Borja Sémper, according to sources in Genoa.
The People's Party proposes to abandon the decree on anti-crisis measures only if the government processes it as a draft law and incorporates three amendments: reduction in income tax for people with an income of less than 40,000 euros, reduction in VAT on meat, Fish and canned goods. and reconsider increasing VAT on electricity and gas – 5% instead of 10% – particularly for low earners. The government, after its review, considers that the terms of the PP are prohibitive as they would mean a reduction of 9 billion in state revenue. “If the government really wants to implement anti-crisis measures, it is easy to support measures in favor of families. “We will offer solutions but not solve the internal problems of the misgovernment,” PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo said on Monday at an informative breakfast organized by Europa Press.
Some words to which Santos Cerdán later responded: “Feijóo says: 'We will not save Sánchez.' And the main people affected are neither Sánchez nor his government, but the citizens of our country.” Having rejected the conditions of the PP, the executive is concentrating on this last day on reaching an agreement in extremis with junts.
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