Pedro Sánchez is facing pressure from the left-wing faction of his parliamentary majority to take offensive action and implement measures for democratic regeneration. This request is supported by his government partners in Sumar, including leader and second vice president Yolanda Díaz, who summed it up as “more democracy and more rights,” as well as parliamentary allies such as ERC, EH Bildu, Podemos, and BNG. Díaz and the Catalan republicans specifically mentioned ways to renew the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) while avoiding the PP’s boycott. As a member of the government and representing the left-wing faction, Díaz detailed economic and social measures such as raising wages, ensuring the right to housing, and reducing healthcare waiting lists, in addition to a program for democratic regeneration that includes reforms to “democratize justice,” renew the CGPJ, and repeal the gag law.
The government’s parliamentary allies had supported Sánchez last week when he hinted at resigning, and on Monday they celebrated his decision to continue and thus continue the legislative term that began just eight months ago. However, they emphasized the need for Sánchez to push forward with reforms to counter the attacks from the right and far right. The independence groups criticized the president’s actions in recent days, particularly the Catalan group, amidst the regional elections campaign. ERC’s spokesperson Gabriel Rufián and Catalan president Pere Aragonès accused Sánchez of frivolity and using citizen consciousness against the far right, urging for concrete actions rather than just press conferences without proposals.
EH Bildu’s spokesperson Mertxe Aizpurua echoed the call for bold democratic action against the reactionary right, aiming to lift the burden of the regime of ’78 that denies national and social rights. Podemos’ general secretary Ione Belarra reiterated the party’s stance on reforming the Judicial Power law to enable its renewal without the PP’s involvement. Belarra questioned whether Sánchez’s decision to stay also meant continuing the judicial and media war against democracy. The BNG’s leader Ana Pontón called for effective measures of democratic regeneration to end practices of lies, defamation, and lawfare deployed against the sovereignty forces, pointing out the PSOE’s historical neglect of these issues.
The recent actions of Sánchez have puzzled most of his parliamentary allies, who do not fully understand the president’s reasons for initially hinting at resigning and then reversing course. The PNV’s spokesperson Aitor Esteban noted the unprecedented nature of the events and emphasized that much work still needs to be done, advocating for long-standing reforms like the amendment of the official secrets law and the repeal of the gag law. The Canarian Coalition criticized Sánchez for holding the country in suspense for five days and called for a reduction in the socialists’ attacks against the Canarian government. Junts, the only supporting group that did not explicitly endorse the president last week, continued to criticize Sánchez, accusing him of irresponsibility and attempting to interfere in the Catalan elections.
Sánchez currently only has the support of Junts for a few weeks until the amnesty law is definitively approved. The Senate has until May 16 to return the law to the Congress, where a final vote will take place. The outcome of the Catalan elections will determine whether the current majority remains intact and if the legislative term is viable moving forward.
