Unprecedented electoral results, unacceptable pacts by the country's acting president, personal and territorial integrity, threats to the rule of law and “illegal, undemocratic and immoral” amnesties. These are the issues that the president of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, put on the European table this Thursday in a meeting with members of his political family in Brussels, wanting to explain how 47 million people are in the hands of Carles Puigdemont , fled, claimed by Justice, the man whom the President of the Government now in office promised to bring and with whom his political survival is now being negotiated.
Before each European Council, the groups organize meetings with their prime ministers, community leaders and opposition leaders, to be on the same page, set priorities and outline lines of action.. Feijóo attended the meeting, the first since the Spaniards went to the polls in July, and the message he wanted to convey is that he could have been president, but he said no because he was not willing to pay the price, something that has been applauded and recognized by his people, as explained by those around him. Also that the rule of law is in danger and that the Government's policy does not reflect the feelings of the citizens, especially in foreign policy.. “I have apologized to my colleagues on behalf of the Spanish people for embarrassing us and for the outbursts,” he said in reference to the position of the Executive, or rather part of it, both on the war in Ukraine and on the Hamas attacks. and Israel's response.
The European agenda is very busy this month of October, but so is the national one.. The popular leader has met with the president of the European People's Party and strong candidate to lead Poland, Donald Tusk. And also with the European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders. His figure is one of the most important right now for the opposition in Spain. Citizens and PP write and call him constantly, they send him all the news about what is happening in our country, both at the level of the CGPJ or the Constitutional Court and about the possible amnesty law, not to mention the reform of embezzlement crimes.. The commissioner is very on top, he knows perfectly the situation, the position of the parties, but right now he is silent. Reynders does not want to rule on the possible amnesty law while there is no formal text, and/or while the judges ask him at the highest level for his intervention.. But listen to the parties.
“All countries know that I was only three votes away from the presidency and that another candidate, the second party that lost the elections, is trying to build an alternative. And they know perfectly well the conditions of separatism for the investiture. It is inevitable to give them information,” he said about his conversations.. “With Commissioner Reynders we have spoken about matters that are related to Spain. The rule of law, of course, and the amnesty is part of that,” explained Núñez Feijóo.
“Concrete conversations belong to the private sphere. I have told you about the amnesty, of course, because it affects the rule of law. I can't be more explicit but I can't be more sincere either.. It affects the rule of law in any country, just as Eurocrimes such as embezzlement and corruption affect everyone.. The commissioner knows the situation in Spain very well. He has traveled, he has recently been in Barcelona with the president of the Generalitat, he will return…. and has a lot of information about what is happening in the area,” he concluded about that meeting that lasted about an hour and that the popular team considers a success.
In an appearance before the media, the popular leader summarized how he explained the situation in the country to his partners, how he renounced paying the price to be president and how Sánchez, according to his vision, is “willing to do anything to maintain the presidency.”. An agreement with the communists, the extreme left, the independentists, the separatists or taking a photo with the political heirs of ETA. I have not accepted Puigdemont's conditions And I have informed my colleagues that I have renounced the possibility because I cannot accept the conditions of the independence movement, of Junts, ERC and Bildu. Not everything goes in politics, I reaffirm myself. “The rule of law is not negotiated, the integrity of the nation is not susceptible to being negotiated with anyone.”
Internal crisis and informal contacts
In recent weeks, information about tensions, frictions or open clashes within the Popular Party on behalf of Catalonia has proliferated.. Feijóo has clearly changed his tone and while he attacks Bildu or ERC very harshly he has lowered or changed his tone with Junts. He is open to contacts, he has changed the line that was in force since 2017, first saying that a party with a long tradition is not the same as some of its members. But even now he is very careful with his words towards Puigdemont, which would not have pleased Alberto Fernández in the least.
Expressly asked if there is unrest, internal criticism, differences of opinion or clashes, Feijóo has removed iron and settled the issue: “I am unaware that there are tensions with the PP because I am president and I understand that I would be the first to find out.”. “If there is a politician in Spain who has resigned from the presidency it is me, I do not know any other colleague, from my party included, who has resigned from being mayor or whatever for saying no to the independence proposals after winning.”
Another issue is your position. On Wednesday, in Catalonia, he spoke of contacts between his people and Puigdemont's people, although “not direct or personal”. Also asked about the issue, he reiterated that “there is no contact with Puigdemont, I have said it”, but “If Junts wants to talk and make proposals we will receive them and we will study and respond.”. We do not speak with Bildu until it facilitates the authorship of more than 300 murders without a known perpetrator. If the rest want to send us comments, we will receive, study and respond.. With Junts I have been forceful: amnesty is not possible, it is illegal, amoral and undemocratic.”
In a note this Thursday, the Cercle d'Economia has assured that it is in favor of the amnesty as a legislative measure that contributes “to turning the page on events that should never have occurred”, while advocating that the beneficiaries should accept the framework of the Constitution according to Europa Press. However, the business entity has said that these measures should not respond to partisan calculations (it has suggested that they should be accompanied by a renunciation of unilateralism and that the pardon be agreed with the PP) and has warned of the risks of approving an amnesty “to win an investiture.”
Feijóo has said that he is at the “antipodes” of what the Government is negotiating on its own, especially because it is not a measure to cure, heal, bring together, unite, but quite the opposite.. “This amnesty is not reconciliation, it is a political transaction. We would not delve into coexistence, but rather into the convenience of someone who after losing wants to be president. We are not in any case in a reconciliation in Catalonia, but rather seeking a transaction for seven votes so that Sánchez remains president after losing. It is reasonable for the Cercle to say that the major State agreements should be made between the two major parties of the State,” he concluded.