PSOE and Sumar are looking to give a political boost to the legislature. After a period in which the minority partner has criticized the coalition’s inaction, the two government parties are planning to convene the monitoring committee for the investiture pact and thus move forward with the government’s agenda. The proposal to establish this body, already included in the agreement between PSOE and Sumar, was put forward by Yolanda Díaz’s party in early February, but was put on hold during the Galician campaign. Sources from both parties now assure that the meeting, still without a date, will take place in the coming weeks, likely before the European elections on June 9th. After a period of discomfort within the government, with their hands tied due to the decision not to pass this year’s budget following the early elections in Catalonia, Sumar plans to present their own budget proposal for 2025 in June. The goal is to increase pressure on PSOE to finalize an agreement by October.
The protocol for the functioning of the coalition between PSOE and Sumar includes the establishment of a permanent monitoring committee within the first 30 days after the government is formed. However, this deadline has passed without the committee meeting even once. In the previous term, the socialists and Unidas Podemos used a similar mechanism to resolve some of the most serious crises in the government, such as differences over the sexual freedom law or labor reform. Now, the partners want to regain this initiative with the intention of “analyzing” the government’s performance and demonstrating that the coalition is advancing shared issues. Sumar insists on the need to “give content to the pause” of President Pedro Sánchez and move towards expanding rights through legislation, especially to counter what they see as an opposition that has crossed all limits.
In recent times, Sumar, under Yolanda Díaz’s leadership, has managed to take the lead and set the agenda on various issues, such as the Palestinian state recognition, reform of unemployment benefits, and elimination of the National Bullfighting Prize, among others. The next step will be the negotiation of the General State Budget for the next year. To be approved in October, the spending limit must be debated in June and reach Congress a month later. Sumar’s priorities include updating the IPREM index used in Spain for grants, subsidies, or unemployment benefits, as well as extending paid maternity and paternity leave to 20 weeks, regulating tourist and seasonal rentals, and safeguarding public health and public companies such as Correos and Agencia Efe.
Additionally, the Ministry of Labor hopes to reach an agreement in the social dialogue table on reducing the working week to 38.5 hours “before the summer”, with the goal of reaching 37.5 hours by 2025. This approval would be a significant milestone for Díaz and the coalition. The progress made in these areas and the completion of key legislation would provide a much-needed boost after more than 40 years of stagnant labor legislation. With a renewed focus on key issues and the determination to move forward with their agenda, both PSOE and Sumar are preparing for a period of increased political activity and cooperation within the coalition government.
