Frailty of Spain's govt on show as Catalan separatists set to block new laws
In the first major vote faced by Spain's new government, difficulties in passing a wide-ranging 'omnibus' bill highlight the fragility of the legislative coalition cobbled together by Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The Spanish Parliament has its first major votes of the year on January 10th.
In normal circumstances the government would want to pass agenda setting legislation and set out its policy platform for the new year, but nothing has been normal (or predictable) in Spanish politics for quite a while now.
If anything, the days and negotiations leading up to Wednesday's vote have revealed the fragility of the government’s position.
The coalition that Socialist (PSOE) Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez managed to cobble together to keep himself in power, which included a controversial amnesty deal with Catalan separatists, already seems under threat after pro-Independence party Junts per Catalunya warned it will vote against the legislation.
Former junior coalition partner Podemos has also indicated it could vote against at least one of the government's bills in a move that many have interpreted as naked partisanship.
READ ALSO: RECAP: Spain's controversial Catalan amnesty deal in four key points
Of the three major bills to be voted on, Junts is particularly concerned about the so-called 'omnibus' bill, a wide-ranging set of reforms designed, in part at least, to satisfy the European Commission and ensure the release of more funds.
Member of the Catalan independence-seeking party have said they will vote against the government, a broad PSOE-Sumar coalition backed up regional parties that only came to power with the support of Junts members in in the first place.
Jordi Turull, secretary general of Junts, stated on Sunday that the seven Junts deputies would vote a "giant no" to the 'omnibus' bill because judicial reforms within it would "endanger" the legal application of the amnesty law.
That Junts would so publicly come out against the government, especially so early into its new term, emphasises how dependent Sánchez is on his uncomfortable bedfellows and makes clear just how fragile the legislative arithmetic propping up his government really is.
Sánchez's new term began back in mid-November with support of Junts deputies in exchange for the controversial amnesty deal with separatists facing legal action over the failed 2017 independence bid, allowing the courts to drop charges against hundreds of people.
The deal sparked widespread controversy in Spain, with thousands taking to the streets in protests that turned violent and saw a visible far-right presence.
READ ALSO: IN IMAGES: Second night of far-right protests against Spain's amnesty
The big votes
The votes in the Congress of Deputies on Wednesday is the new government's first big test.
The chamber is set to vote on three measures put forward by the PSOE-fronted coalition: the first, an anti-crisis bill designed to combat inflation and extend public subsidies on travel vouchers and VAT cuts on basic foodstuffs; the second, proposed by the Labour Ministry, to tackle unemployment benefit, among other issues; and, finally, the third, Spain's Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, something that must be passed in order to receive €10 billion in European funds.
Junts is primarily concerned with the third -- the ‘omnibus’ bill, as it's become known.
What is the 'omnibus' bill?
Known as the omnibus bill because it actually contains several reforms packaged in the same piece of legislation and voted on at the same time, it covers, among other things, judicial, civil service, and local government reforms.
Though the Sánchez government has talked up the reforms, in reality much of the political impetus comes from its conditionality; that is to say, in order to fulfil the criteria demanded by the European Commission and therefore receive the fourth tranche of European 'Next Generation' funds or 'Next Generation', these changes must be made.
So why do Junts oppose it and why do they say they're voting against it?
Why does Junts oppose it?
Junts claims it will vote against the government due to parts of the omnibus bill that would change the Civil Procedure Law. Specifically, they point to article 43, which establishes that when a magistrate presents preliminary questions to the EU Court of Justice, judicial proceedings will be frozen until the court rules on how to apply EU law. Junts worry this could adversely affect, or, in effect, freeze the application of the amnesty law because, once approved, judges could theoretically delay the process.
However, legal experts consulted by Spanish outlet 20 Minutos, claim this is not the case and there will be no effect because what the reform includes was already case law in European law.
As such, many political observers view Junts' behaviour as political horse trading in order to extract concessions, or messaging to make clear to the public (and its separatist base) that although it supported Sánchez's investiture, it is not a direct member of the government. PSOE figures have been keen to downplay the politics of the omnibus bill and focus minds on the broader implications of the three bills together, particularly the anti-crisis measures.
"Those who do not want to support the bills will have to explain it. It is not about saving Sánchez, but the people," the PSOE's organising secretary, Santos Cerdán, said on Monday.
However, a more cynical interpretation would be that Junts is flexing its political muscles and making clear to the government (and the country) just how dependent it is on them in order to be able to get anything through parliament.
As of Tuesday afternoon, with negotiations ongoing and anticipation for a government defeat growing, Junts has made its support conditional on sanctions being levied on companies that left Catalonia during the political instability of 2017.
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The Spanish Parliament has its first major votes of the year on January 10th.
In normal circumstances the government would want to pass agenda setting legislation and set out its policy platform for the new year, but nothing has been normal (or predictable) in Spanish politics for quite a while now.
If anything, the days and negotiations leading up to Wednesday's vote have revealed the fragility of the government’s position.
The coalition that Socialist (PSOE) Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez managed to cobble together to keep himself in power, which included a controversial amnesty deal with Catalan separatists, already seems under threat after pro-Independence party Junts per Catalunya warned it will vote against the legislation.
Former junior coalition partner Podemos has also indicated it could vote against at least one of the government's bills in a move that many have interpreted as naked partisanship.
READ ALSO: RECAP: Spain's controversial Catalan amnesty deal in four key points
Of the three major bills to be voted on, Junts is particularly concerned about the so-called 'omnibus' bill, a wide-ranging set of reforms designed, in part at least, to satisfy the European Commission and ensure the release of more funds.
Member of the Catalan independence-seeking party have said they will vote against the government, a broad PSOE-Sumar coalition backed up regional parties that only came to power with the support of Junts members in in the first place.
Jordi Turull, secretary general of Junts, stated on Sunday that the seven Junts deputies would vote a "giant no" to the 'omnibus' bill because judicial reforms within it would "endanger" the legal application of the amnesty law.
That Junts would so publicly come out against the government, especially so early into its new term, emphasises how dependent Sánchez is on his uncomfortable bedfellows and makes clear just how fragile the legislative arithmetic propping up his government really is.
Sánchez's new term began back in mid-November with support of Junts deputies in exchange for the controversial amnesty deal with separatists facing legal action over the failed 2017 independence bid, allowing the courts to drop charges against hundreds of people.
The deal sparked widespread controversy in Spain, with thousands taking to the streets in protests that turned violent and saw a visible far-right presence.
READ ALSO: IN IMAGES: Second night of far-right protests against Spain's amnesty
The big votes
The votes in the Congress of Deputies on Wednesday is the new government's first big test.
The chamber is set to vote on three measures put forward by the PSOE-fronted coalition: the first, an anti-crisis bill designed to combat inflation and extend public subsidies on travel vouchers and VAT cuts on basic foodstuffs; the second, proposed by the Labour Ministry, to tackle unemployment benefit, among other issues; and, finally, the third, Spain's Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, something that must be passed in order to receive €10 billion in European funds.
Junts is primarily concerned with the third -- the ‘omnibus’ bill, as it's become known.
What is the 'omnibus' bill?
Known as the omnibus bill because it actually contains several reforms packaged in the same piece of legislation and voted on at the same time, it covers, among other things, judicial, civil service, and local government reforms.
Though the Sánchez government has talked up the reforms, in reality much of the political impetus comes from its conditionality; that is to say, in order to fulfil the criteria demanded by the European Commission and therefore receive the fourth tranche of European 'Next Generation' funds or 'Next Generation', these changes must be made.
So why do Junts oppose it and why do they say they're voting against it?
Why does Junts oppose it?
Junts claims it will vote against the government due to parts of the omnibus bill that would change the Civil Procedure Law. Specifically, they point to article 43, which establishes that when a magistrate presents preliminary questions to the EU Court of Justice, judicial proceedings will be frozen until the court rules on how to apply EU law. Junts worry this could adversely affect, or, in effect, freeze the application of the amnesty law because, once approved, judges could theoretically delay the process.
However, legal experts consulted by Spanish outlet 20 Minutos, claim this is not the case and there will be no effect because what the reform includes was already case law in European law.
As such, many political observers view Junts' behaviour as political horse trading in order to extract concessions, or messaging to make clear to the public (and its separatist base) that although it supported Sánchez's investiture, it is not a direct member of the government. PSOE figures have been keen to downplay the politics of the omnibus bill and focus minds on the broader implications of the three bills together, particularly the anti-crisis measures.
"Those who do not want to support the bills will have to explain it. It is not about saving Sánchez, but the people," the PSOE's organising secretary, Santos Cerdán, said on Monday.
However, a more cynical interpretation would be that Junts is flexing its political muscles and making clear to the government (and the country) just how dependent it is on them in order to be able to get anything through parliament.
As of Tuesday afternoon, with negotiations ongoing and anticipation for a government defeat growing, Junts has made its support conditional on sanctions being levied on companies that left Catalonia during the political instability of 2017.
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