After five days of maximum uncertainty, Sumar expresses its “respect” for Pedro Sánchez’s continuation as head of the government but demands that this crisis serve as a stimulus for governing “more and better.” The leader of the socialist party’s speech suggests a situation of stability for the coalition. However, the lack of concrete announcements has led Sumar to call for a response to the offensive that, according to Sánchez, the right-wing is carrying out “with more democracy and more rights.” In a press conference from the Ministry of Labor, the leader implicitly urged the PSOE for a change in direction and emphasized that this “new chapter” should not remain only a “rhetorical question”, but should be filled with “content, initiative, and new public policies”. Díaz will meet with Sánchez on Monday at La Moncloa.
Díaz highlighted the need to fully comply with the investiture agreement and go beyond that, emphasizing the need to deepen the transformations of the country. She advocated for the democratization of justice, including the reform of the gag law and the renewal of the CGPJ, a matter for which seeking agreement with the Popular Party is no longer suitable. The vice president thus took up the challenge of the president, who in his speech an hour earlier assumed the “commitment” to work “incessantly, with firmness and serenity for the pending regeneration of democracy”. Díaz also outlined what she believes should be the priorities of this legislative term: guaranteeing the right to housing, reducing the workday, parental leaves, raising salaries, reducing waiting lists in health care, and protecting public services.
“What has happened these days must represent a before and after. The mobilized citizens demand that we win rights, govern more and better”, she emphasized. “Today more than ever the people need serenity, seriousness, and a national horizon. Because they did not vote for us to turn our problems into theirs”, she stated critically after pointing out that politics needs to have less melodrama, referring to the unprecedented situation Spain experienced after Sánchez announced last Wednesday that he was opening a period of reflection to decide whether to continue leading the government. “The attempts to destabilize are only answered with two tools. More democracy and more rights”, Díaz emphasized, also being very harsh on the president of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, telling him to stop questioning the legitimately obtained results and to respect the country.
Sumar had insisted since Wednesday on the need to preserve the coalition government. Through its leaders, the minority partner of the government had expressed that the decision went “beyond Sánchez” and even considered it irresponsible to resign at this moment, as it would give a victory to the far right. Additionally, the platform did not hide its concern about the movements of the socialist leader, which they viewed with suspicion, fearing that its outcome could generate greater disaffection among the citizens and the fear that the PSOE could now capitalize on the mobilization evidenced in the protests in Madrid on Saturday and Sunday at the polls. After the speech on Monday, the feeling was different. Some voices expressed their confusion due to the lack of specific announcements, creating a situation that they believe could backfire. The president’s decision comes in the midst of the Catalan campaign and just six weeks before crucial European elections for the consolidation of Sumar as a political space to the left of the PSOE.
