Alberto Núñez Feijóo has lost the investiture, but has established himself as leader of the Popular Party. Nobody is going to dispute his leadership in the coming months. This is one of the conclusions of the second vote, which took place today in the Congress of Deputies with the following result: 172 votes in favor, 177 against and a null vote from the Junts per Catalunya deputy, Eduard Pujol, who has been confused, trying to rectify it immediately. (Jokes in the chamber, nostalgia for the Majestic pact).
If we put the mistake of Deputy Pujol in parentheses, there have been no defections in the PSOE, nor in other parties. It was not foreseeable that there would be any, but in the Madrid DF sphere some energy has been used in recent weeks to try to achieve it.
A few days ago, an Italian journalist with twenty years of experience in the field of political information in his country, recently landed in Madrid as a correspondent, told me the following: “I admire Spain because it still maintains a foundation of public morality; “Perhaps to you it seems the most normal thing in the world that there are no desertions in the parties in a situation as complicated as the current one, but in my country, four votes would have already been bought.” Núñez Feijoo is four votes short of the presidency of the Government. He has not bought them, nor have they been put up for sale.
In terms of popular vote the result would be the following. Votes in favor of the PP candidate: 11,286,388. Votes against: 12,494,576. The difference against the candidate was 1,208,188 votes, which offers us a fairly clear picture: Spain did not vote overwhelmingly for the right-wing bloc in the elections held on July 23.
Once the vote is over, the King will carry out a new round of consultations and announce his conclusions. (The round of consultations will take place on Monday and Tuesday of next week). If Pedro Sánchez is designated as a candidate, the leader of the Socialist Party will be faced with the obligation to transform those 12.4 million votes against Feijóo’s investiture into votes favorable to him. To do this, he must obtain the support of the nationalist and independence deputies of the Basque Country, Catalonia and Galicia, in addition to the foreseeable support of Sumar. On this occasion, the main key is not the PSOE-Unidas Podemos pact, as in the previous legislature. The key now lies in Catalonia. The agonizing competition between ERC and Junts is the main obstacle that Sánchez faces, as has become evident in the last few hours. The possibility of repeat elections remains alive.
The parliamentary day has been short but rough. Fully aware of his defeat, Núñez Feijóo has taken the stand as head of the opposition, to announce that he will consider the Government that Sánchez can form with the parliamentary support of the Catalan independence movement to be illegitimate. The PP has launched its new slogan: “The Government of lies.” “It will be the government of lies,” said Feijóo, recalling that the socialist leader refused until two months ago to favor an amnesty for the events of the process. The argument of the right is that citizens came to vote without knowing that the socialists were available. They forget to point out, however, that Spaniards went to vote last July under an even more terrible slogan, which had become the song of the summer: “Let Txapote vote for you.” Vigorously popularized by the political and media right, this slogan directly accused the Socialist Party of complicity with terrorism.
The Valladolid deputy Óscar Puente has once again taken the stand on behalf of the PSOE. Puente has accused Feijóo of having abused the good will of the King to launch the investiture process, with the aim of transforming the parliamentary debate into a ceremony of affirmation of his leadership in the Popular Party, a leadership that could have entered into crisis after the July election results.
ERC and Junts have wanted to reaffirm their positions after the resolution voted in the Parliament of Catalonia in which both parties condition their support for Sánchez on him “working” to create the conditions for a referendum in Catalonia. Neither of the two pro-independence spokespersons has uttered the word “referendum” today in Congress. Attention to nuances: Teresa Jordà’s (ERC) tone has been harsher than that of Miriam Nogueras (Junts). The tables are turning. The competition between both formations is sleepless. The PSOE may stumble upon this insomnia.
Also significant is the intervention of Aitor Esteban, from the Basque Nationalist Party, visibly dissatisfied with Feijóo: “Today we voted against, with more reason than on Wednesday.” The PNV is in the electoral phase in the Basque Country. It remains to be seen if this anger continues with the same intensity in the coming months.
The following admonition from Santiago Abascal (Vox) is disturbing: “The amnesty is an attack on the Spanish people from which they have the right and duty to defend themselves. And he will do it, then don’t come with whining.”
Rough end to the first investiture debate. He scolds the socialist spokesperson Óscar Puente on the Valladolid-Madrid AVE. Some bishops re-entering politics and far-right media launching rumors about a statement by high military commanders against the amnesty.
“Government of lies.” It seems like we’re back in 2004.
