Ferraz ignores Felipe González's suggestion: "The elections have already been held"

Hours before closing an agreement with Junts, once it finally seemed to Carles Puigdemont that the text of the amnesty law accommodates his claims, the socialist leadership did not make any dent in Felipe González's suggestion that the best political exit is a new electoral call. Ferraz reminded him that “the elections have already been held” and that the PSOE “is going to create the Government that the Spaniards asked for” on June 23. “Progressive and reflection of a plural Spain”, they emphasize.

The former president of the Government, totally opposed to the amnesty, maintains, in statements through his foundation, that “I really tell all citizens, starting with my colleagues, that it is not worth it”. The solution he proposes is “to go and win the elections, if they are repeated”. “Changes in the party's position are not justified”. Unlike Pedro Sánchez, who bases the results of the elections on the need to make “necessity a virtue” and give in to this claim of the independence movement, González rejects that the “seven votes for an investiture” deserve the approval of this law..

His criticism of many of Sánchez's decisions has been so frequent that the former socialist leader has lost popularity in his own party, which increasingly takes his opinions into account.. The process of detachment with González is very similar to that which a very relevant part of the PP had with José María Aznar due to his permanent public opposition to Mariano Rajoy's management.. Like Aznar, the former socialist president also intends to make himself heard.

Socialist sources maintain that “he does not forgive Pedro for winning against Susana [Díaz] and for not calling him to consult him”. The relationship between them is bad, despite the fact that there have been several attempts at rapprochement.. Although not everyone in the PSOE censures his attitude. González was the one who opened the ban against the amnesty, but other leaders such as Alfonso Guerra, Joaquín Almunia, Ramón Jáuregui and Elena Valenciano have followed him.. “He only says what he thinks he should say to the Spanish. As he has always done”, highlight those who defend his intervention. “He feels under that obligation and his explanation is brilliant,” they add..

González also contradicts the reading that leads Sánchez to maintain that there is a mandate from 23-J. He believes that the Spanish have not voted for the continuity of the blocs, but rather, by casting two out of every three votes on the PP and PSOE ballots, what they are demanding is a “space of centrality” that puts an end to political polarization. Despite not being in line with Ferraz's speech, the former socialist leader assures that he “defends the party's positions”. “It bothers me that my colleagues consider that I do not support the party,” he says.. But “supporting a party is not supporting what is decided one day or another”. “I say what I think and I think what I say,” he highlights.

However, the organization was surprised that he made these new statements just after the members had spoken.. Sánchez decided to ask the bases for endorsement of the negotiations he maintains with Junts with a consultation, which was initially only going to ask about the government agreement with Sumar. The general secretary of the PSOE achieved very broad support, 87%. Socialist sources pointed out that, “just after the militancy vote”, the former president's demonstrations “are not without their merit.”.

“It's the same thing that Feijóo says”

The affection that González is not given in the PSOE is granted in the PP. Your words are not only shared, they are also celebrated. At a time of maximum political tension, and with the country divided by the agreement between Sánchez and Puigdemont, in Genoa they understand that all voices opposed to the amnesty are “more necessary than ever”. And even more so that of the former president of the Government, whom Feijóo described at the time as “the most important figure of the PSOE”. “I know that his only interest is for Spain to do well.”. “He has no other,” said the popular leader himself in an interview with El Confidencial..

“It's brutal,” summarize several well-positioned sources in the party.. But that joy is mixed, in part, with resignation. Nobody in the PP believes that Felipe González's reflections are going to have any effect, at least not a “determinant” one.. “Sanchismo has no conscience or conscience. They are just greedy for power,” they add.. It is already common in Genoa to use Felipe González as a disruptive example within the socialist ranks to oppose, from within, the investiture pact with Sánchez. And on this occasion, the PP leadership subscribes point by point to the position of the former PSOE leader.. “It is the same thing that Feijóo says,” they add..

Not in vain, one of the mantras most repeated by Feijóo in recent weeks is to request a repeat election – which would be held on January 14 – so that Sánchez puts himself in the mirror of the citizens before approving the decriminalization of the process.. They also understand that the amnesty and the deal with the independence movement will deal a blow “of no return” to both the division of powers and equality among Spaniards: “We are not talking about coexistence, but about convenience.”.

But, beyond the desire of González or Feijóo, nothing points to new elections. After the protests in front of the socialist headquarters in recent days, organized and instrumentalized by far-right groups, Sánchez indicated this Monday that they demonstrate the need for the investiture pact to go ahead and for there to be a new Government led by the PSOE.