The intervention of the pro-independence parties was one of the most eagerly awaited moments in the investiture of Pedro Sánchez. ERC spokesperson Gabriel Rufián boasted on Wednesday of the "strength" that his party has to "force" the PSOE not only to agree to amnesty, but also to hold a new referendum in Catalonia in the future.
"We have the capacity to force him to end the repression today and perhaps to vote in a referendum tomorrow," Rufián said during his turn to speak at Pedro Sánchez's investiture session.
"Don't take any chances," recommended the leader of the Republicans in Congress after justifying how the acting president of the Government has "no alternative" to the pro-independence groups if he wants to revalidate a new mandate in La Moncloa.
ERC's speech came in parallel to the discomfort generated in Junts by Sánchez's treatment of amnesty in his turn to speak. In this regard, Rufián warned the members of Junts: "When the PSOE tries to deceive you, it will do so. We won't blame you."
In response, Sánchez claimed his "commitment to dialogue" since he took office in 2018. "I have turned my attention to reversing that legacy," he said, referring to the legacy of rupture and separation left by Mariano Rajoy's previous government.