The main partner of the PSOE in the coalition government, Sumar, along with other usual allies in Parliament such as Podemos and EH Bildu, wanted to showcase their disagreements on several important issues, such as defense spending and solutions to the housing problem. Vice President and leader of Sumar, Yolanda Díaz, had to acknowledge her clear differences with the PSOE in terms of increasing the budget for Defense. These criticisms were later echoed by Podemos and EH Bildu, as well as in a debate with the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles. Tensions within the progressive bloc were evident between the Minister of Housing, Isabel Rodríguez, and her former colleague, ex-Minister Ione Belarra, leader of Podemos. The PP took advantage of this scenario to demand several resignations.
The PP, in its strategy to undermine the unity of the coalition government and focus on their differences, chose to deepen the discrepancies between the PSOE and Sumar during the session in Congress. This issue revolves around defense spending and the recent decision to allocate over 1.129 million to the Ministry due to the needs arising from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. The Secretary General of the PP, Cuca Gamarra, questioned the position of Vice President Díaz within the government, suggesting she should resign due to the “incoherence” of her stance. Díaz expressed that those who lie in politics should resign and clarified that they did not agree with the military spending increase as outlined in the government agreement.
Members of EH Bildu and Podemos also questioned the necessity for Spain to increase military spending to meet the 2% requirement from NATO, noting other priorities within the country. The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, defended the increase, emphasizing its impact on the nation’s economy. Meanwhile, the debate between Robles and opposition members became heated, particularly regarding the issues raised by Podemos leader Belarra regarding housing policy. Belarra criticized the government’s inaction on addressing rising rental prices and proposed solutions such as prohibiting non-residential property purchases and implementing rent control measures.
Minister of Housing Isabel Rodríguez attempted to explain the complexity of the housing crisis and the need for collaboration between various sectors and administrations. However, Belarra rejected these explanations and suggested Podemos’ model for addressing the crisis, including measures such as requiring large property owners to make a portion of their properties available for social housing and freezing all rents for the duration of the legislature. The disagreements within the coalition government on these key issues highlight the challenges of governing with multiple partners with differing priorities and approaches. The PP’s efforts to capitalize on these divisions further underscore the delicate balance of power within the coalition.
