• Negotiation.ERC sees an investiture of Pedro Sánchez possible before January 5 if there is an agreement with the PSOE
  • Analysis: Radiography of an ungovernable Spain, year V

The PSOE is already about to have a Government, with an investiture between December 27 and 30, which has not yet been waived, or between January 2 and 5. After Saturday the ERC bases endorse the commitment of the management to open a process of dialogue with the State, despite the support that the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has given the most reactionary independence thesis ) On the parliamentary immunity of Oriol Junqueras, the party and the Government are preparing for Pedro Sánchez to be elected this Christmas.

The ERC congress was the last stumbling block for this formation to decide its abstention and thus allow a Coalition Executive with United We after the unexpected ruling of the CJEU, which put in solitude the negotiations between socialists and Republicans, above all, because it represents the resurrection Carles Puigdemont policy, escaped since 2017.

The formation that continues to direct Junqueras is fully ratified its proposal to give a political solution to the «conflict» in Catalonia , endorsed before at the polls, and is determined, despite competition with JxCat, to address the next Catalan elections with a project of centrality in the independence space. Now it only remains that, as required, the State Advocacy makes a favorable statement to the thesis of the defense of Junqueras, which asks for his release so that he can collect his MEP record.

Both the PSOE and the Executive hope that the letter that the legal services of the Government send, probably today, to the Supreme Court will approach these arguments because, already in its day, when it had to position itself, the Advocacy defended that the leader should be allowed ERC to appear before the Electoral Board to swear or promise his position as MEP and attend the constitution of the European Parliament in Strasbourg . The forecast is that an acknowledgment that Junqueras' rights were violated and a favorable position to amend that situation will help to smooth the investiture. If this happens, they point out, "everything can be solved."

The dates for the investiture

Different sources of the Government indicate that the brief of the State Advocacy could be known today and that will just clarify, even accelerate, the investiture calendar. The Socialists still do not give up that the debate begins on 27, there is a first vote on 28, in which the absolute majority would not be achieved, and a second and final one, which would lead to the election of Pedro Sánchez with more yeses than not, 48 hours later, that is, on the 30th. It is a very tight calendar but not impossible, according to the sources consulted by this newspaper.

Where no one sees problems is in the agreement on a dialogue table between the Generalitat and the Government, in which ERC has already warned that it will defend the holding of a referendum of self-determination. This pact is very advanced and everything is at the expense of the final closure and the convening of the National Council of ERC and the Federal Committee of the PSOE, which should ratify the commitments made for the investiture.

A predictable opinion today of the Advocacy, favorable to ERC's arguments, would hasten this final phase of the process. But if I didn't give time, the investiture should wait just one more week. The other scheduled dates are between January 2 and 5. This seems to be the most feasible alternative, but it is still going to work actively with an eye on 27. PSOE sources insist that "nothing is ruled out."

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  • ERC
  • PSOE
  • Pedro Sanchez
  • United We Can
  • Supreme Court
  • European Parliament
  • Carles Puigdemont
  • Oriol Junqueras
  • Catalonia
  • Politics

Investidura The Government downplays the breakdown of the negotiation with ERC and hopes to continue talking

PoliticsOriol Junqueras asks not to stop negotiations with the PSOE even if he is in prison

Junqueras policy demands a "democratic" negotiating table to the PSOE to invest Pedro Sánchez