The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) signed an agreement this Friday that will guarantee the inauguration of Pedro Sánchez as head of the next government.
Weeks of intense and sensitive negotiations end this Friday with the formalization of the agreement between the PSOE and the PNV, the latest agreement between the socialists and several small parties whose support will allow the formation of the new executive Spanish next week. The agreement signed today between Sánchez and the leader of the Basque nationalists, Andoni Ortuzar, ensures five additional deputies who will facilitate the socialist’s inauguration.
Thus, during the investiture vote next Thursday, Sánchez will be able to count on 178 votes in favor, which corresponds to the seats of the PSOE, Sumar, Republican Left of Catalonia, Together for Catalonia, Galician Nationalist Bloc and PNV. It is also possible that the only deputy of the Canarian Coalition will also join, thus strengthening Sánchez’s majority. The Spanish press takes this support for granted.
The agreement concluded this Friday with the PNV is self-evident and includes guarantees of respect for the autonomy status of the Basque Country and the promise of public investment in infrastructure, particularly linked to the high-speed railway.
Sánchez managed to stay in power after reaching an agreement with Catalan independence groups in exchange for an extremely controversial amnesty law. On Thursday, the former president of the Catalan government and leader of the Junts, Carles Puigdemont, confirmed the success of the negotiations, considering them a “historic step” towards defining the political future of Catalonia.
The amnesty law will pardon the convictions of all political leaders involved in the organization of the 2017 referendum, considered illegal by Spanish justice. Puigdemont and other Catalan leaders received long prison sentences for crimes against the Spanish state.
In addition, the agreement signed between the PSOE and Junts provides for the formation of an international mechanism responsible for negotiating a political solution for Catalonia – the hope of independence activists is that the way is opened for a binding referendum, but this is not the case. It’s not sure.
The agreement with the Catalan separatists has been widely criticized, notably by the Spanish right, who accuse Sánchez of having given in by all means to separatist demands just to be able to stay in power.
The PP was the party with the most votes in the elections. legislative elections of July 23, but its leader, Alberto Núnez Feijóo, failed guarantee the necessary support to be invested as head of government.
Last week, Madrid was the scene of violent demonstrations organized by far-right and Falangist groups, with the tacit support of Vox and a few figures from the Popular Party.
On Thursday evening, a few hours after the announcement of the agreement between the PSOE and Junts, thousands of people again gathered around the headquarters of the Socialist Party in the center of Madrid. According to the press, this is the most attended demonstration of the last week.
A group of protesters even clashed with police forces as they attempted to break the security perimeter around the PSOE headquarters, setting trash cans on fire and throwing pyrotechnic objects. Police arrested at least 24 people, newspaper says Spanish.
In the afternoon, the former president of the Catalan PP and one of the founders of Vox, Alejo Vidal-Quadras, suffered an injury attempted murder when he was shot dead while leaving his home in Madrid.