The leader of the PSOE dispatched this Sunday, between winning winks, reproaches to the PP and pressure on the head of state, the offer of the popular leader, hours before and via letter, to meet this week and negotiate the unblocking of the political situation. Sánchez not only rejected the request, but also outlines that he will have “the necessary support” before Feijóo to form a government and postpones any meeting until Felipe VI “has designated the candidate” for the investiture. Sánchez already sees himself in that role. In fact, he refers his rival to that moment, when he would receive him as one more: “I will be delighted to meet with you, as well as with the rest of the spokesmen for the parliamentary groups with representation in the Chamber.”
Feijóo waited until yesterday, once the recount of the foreign vote was confirmed -which granted one more seat to the PP in Madrid at the expense of the PSOE, which equalized the balance of blocks and forces Sánchez to seek the yes of Junts- to re-tend shake hands with the acting President of the Government and urge him to meet this week to discuss the unlocking. “As the winner of the elections” he asked the socialist leader for an urgent meeting to facilitate his investiture. The PP, as a winning force, “must govern,” Feijóo demanded in the letter.
But the PP's proposal to “establish a responsible dialogue, for the benefit of the political and institutional stability of Spain” was ignored by the socialist leader, who responded harshly, anticipating a future legislature of entrenchment.. Also by post, he removed any option of understanding in the short term, attributing the lack of dialogue to the fact that the PP broke off the negotiations for the renewal of the CGPJ (October 27).. He will only agree to meet “after the formal constitution of the Congress of Deputies, on August 17” and ends the letter with an appeal to the order of the head of state.
That last paragraph, by encompassing the meeting with Feijóo along with the rest of the parties, advances that in Ferraz they see Sánchez capable of articulating sufficient support (with Junts or with the Canary Islands Coalition) before going to Zarzuela. So, the King who, according to the constituents, finds it difficult to evade the assignment to the leader of the most voted force (Feijóo), could give the green light to those who have already proven to have more support (Sánchez).. And Sánchez assumes that he will have them, while he boasts to Feijóo: the “repeal” of sanchismo “had no support.”
Contempt, between ironies, oozes in the exchange of letters. The general secretary of the PSOE comes to make the popular president ugly with his letter: “Although today we have more agile means for dialogue than epistolary dialogue,” he jokes.
If Feijóo writes: «As you know, a continuous factor of governability and normality in our country throughout its entire democratic trajectory has been the recognition that the winning political force in general elections is the one that should govern», Sánchez replies: «I am sure that you understand and share this basic principle of parliamentary democracy, because it has been applied historically by your party, systematically in all latitudes of Spain, each time it has allowed you to reach the presidency of autonomous governments and mayors. despite not being the force with the most votes (…) It has once again been applied in the constitution of different regional governments in which the Popular Party and Vox have joined forces and votes according to the criterion of the arithmetic sum of the number of seats in the autonomous parliaments.
The PSOE, therefore, denies any option of rapprochement. Feijóo recognized in his letter the deep differences that separate them, but demanded a sense of State and a high vision so that the two main forces -which have regained support- resolve the complex political situation. “So that Spain does not depend on possible negative combinations that polarize society, seriously damage territorial cohesion and push our constitutional system to the limit,” underlines the PP leader, before the possible pact of the PSOE with ERC, Bildu and Junts.
The socialist refusal leads to a political configuration in blocks. Only a meeting between the two main parties would break the blockade. They won't see each other for now.