Casa Santo Estevo

The vice president of the Government and visible head of Sumar, Yolanda Díaz, has been to visit Puigdemont in Brussels. Most of teh media that I have read in Spanish call Puigdemont a fugitive*. Others may not see him as one, like the UN.
In The POSE a maybe government in waiting deny any relationship between the presidency of the Government and Yolanda Díaz's trip. They claim that they were warned last night, as a fait accompli, that the vice president would travel to Belgium to meet with Puigdemont, that it is an initiative that Díaz assumes as leader of Sumar and that he does not represent the socialist.
Díaz had travelled to Belgium accompanied by Jaume Asens , a former Podemos deputy. Virginia Uzal who is the head of communication at the Ministry of Labour. Josep Vendrell is the chief of staff of the Second Vice Presidency of the Government. Lastly Mariña Sánchez (not related) who is the vice president's main photographer.
At one time Sánchez promised to bring Puigdemont back to Spain "to be held accountable before justice.


https://www.libertaddigital.com/espa...chez-7045891/?
https://archive.ph/75evB

Ronnyone

This unfortunately is where we have ended up with Spanish politics. Both parties are effectively having to try and justify stepping over red lines. Puigemont is the king maker. He is going to announce his demands today. If he was really a true politician he would ask for a referendum but accept the crime of sedition and negotiate a more progressive modern punishment but I fear he wants a complete amnesty for himself. Sanchez needs his support to be able to form the next government and it is nearer to him than for Feijóo. Feijóo is hoping for a new election in January but this time with the strategy of completely ditching Vox. Sanchez is an extremely adroit politician and could equally reject Junts and settle for a new election hoping the independents do badly again and therefore weaken their power so they would have to make less extreme demands to keep their dream of independence alive.

Ronnyone

So Puigemont has finished his announcement and basically he said if anyone wants us we will call the shots. He is pretty much saying that he wants the whole constitution ripped up and acts like independence is a done deal ( ie he doesn't seem to consider that some people don't want it). I doubt Sanchez will accept this as it would've him look weak and desperate. Of course nothing definitive will happen until 26th September then another month will go by then hopefully there will be another election where both sides will have to publicly state who they will pact with and therefore allow the people a more informed election.

Casa Santo Estevo

All this Puigemont/Sánchez thing whilst Spain holds the Europe's presidency.

I wonder if Feijóo will last as long as the next election, be it December or January.

Ronnyone

Feijóo is now resigned to either Sanchez being invited to form a government or the prospect of new elections. The last week he was rather weakly suggesting he could do business with Junts by after today that is an impossibility. Sanchez has time in front of him to explore possibilities but the idea of pardoning Puigemont is going to be extraordinarily difficult to sell to those who voted for PSOE as it amounts to exploiting the separation of judiciary from executive which is a key cornerstone to democracy. Puigemont though has made an error which is another thing Placing a pardon first and for himself instead or arguing first for a referendum in the future tells you everything you need to know. He is looking out only for himself and his ideals are secondary. This is another reason why Sanchez needs to be careful the Spanish voters are not going to want someone like that getting a free out of jail card.

Ronnyone

Put simply Feijóo will not be the president of Spain this side of another election. In fact, there is a high possibility that he could find himself pushed aside for Ayuso. All eyes are on Sanchez assembliing a government by November - of course the Shakespeare- like spectre of power or humility is his battle now. Power is easily within his grasp but at the price of shame? Lets see where the next chapter leads us.

Ronnyone

Honestly PP really know how to mess things up. All they needed to do was stick to the narrative that an amnesty was undemocratic etc...but no they stirred it up by calling for all these protests and after last night it just confirms what Vox is a a ultra right party. Basically they whipped up these small groups of far right protesters so that now we know what kind of people would be pulling PP"S strings if they were a government. So basically Feijóo has yet again made a huge blunder and people will at least feel safer under Sanchez than have Abascal calling the shots.

Ronnyone

Well to end this thread: Sanchez is the president. Took about 4 months but such is the system in spain.
Admittedly it is not going to be easy for PSOE to hold such a disparate government together as the separatists have basically got their amnesty even if the government is forced to dissolve.
One strange thing is that perhaps Spain's greatest moment in modern politics was the decision to move from a dictatorship to a democracy after Franco. To do that they had an amnesty!!!. And that was considered by the right wing as the legitimate thing to do to allow the country to progress. No one considers it undemocratic or fascist. Yet now we have a right wing opposition acting like a chicken without a head- calling Sanchez's amnesty the end of democratic Spain!!.

DLC

As far as I can tell Feijoo's great plan is to have a tantrum and hold his breath and turn blue in the face till he gets another general election. Also to continue flirting with Vox as there are a lot of regional and municipal PP/Vox coalitions. It's difficult to tell where the PP ends and Vox begins.

astera

Interesting topic for someone like myself who doesn't know the political spectrum here, but I can clearly see that the two main parties to stay away from are PP and their taliban-mentality accomplices Vox...

TheRainInSpain

What an absolute disgrace....but politicians will do anything for power, as we know.

The UK equivalent would be a Labour + Sinn Finn coalition (+ 5 or 6 other basket case parties) - an absurdity.

Spain is in for a rough 4 years.

growinspain

or a prosperous 4 years for Spaniards....

1sexsmith

I don't have a problem with Sanchez pacting with junts nor an amnesty. I do believe that the only way to deal with Catalan independence is some kind of negotiation and a legal referendum. The problem is that Sanchez was opposed to an amnesty before the election and now he appears to have granted it as it benefits him. This seriously erodes trust in the political system and in turn plays into the hands of the ultra right. This is Sanchez's real failing and the one that will inevitably lead to his downfall.

DLC

Remember, the PP had first chance to form a government and failed. Nobody else wants to work with Vox apart from the PP and the PP couldn't get enough support from other parties without Vox.

Also today Vox reminded the PP not to think about collaborating with the PSOE in any way and the PP is keeping quiet about Vox alt-right supporters attacking PSOE constituency offices.

Are you talking about Sinn Fein as it was in the 70-80s (not applicable to Junts or ERC as they're not the political wings of a terrorist group) or Sinn Fein as it is now (a legitimate party both North and South)?