In his first public intervention after the PSOE managed to definitively close the pact with Carles Puigdemont for his investiture, Pedro Sánchez defended this Saturday in Malaga that with his vote what the citizens said on 23-J is that “Spain can only be governed if the political pluralism of its country and also its territorial diversity are recognized. In this way he has justified the transfers to the pro-independence parties in exchange for the votes necessary for his re-election, although without mentioning at any time the amnesty law for those involved in the illegal 1-0 independence referendum in Catalonia.

He did so during his participation in the Congress of European Socialists that was held this week in the Andalusian city, where the acting president also addressed Alberto Núñez Feijóo’s popular supporters to tell them that they have to “accept the result of the elections.” ballot boxes” and “the legitimacy of the Government” that will be formed “soon. He has also asked them “to have the necessary courage to say no to the bear hug of the right and to abandon the reactionary path on which they are advancing towards the abyss today.”

In front of his political family headed by the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, Sánchez said that the May 28 elections – in which his party lost control of nine autonomous communities and several city councils – “seemed like the prelude to many analysts always inclined to the right of the inevitable”, in reference to a coalition of PP and Vox at the head of La Moncloa. “They took the victory for granted, they went to the July 23 elections to complete a mere procedure, how broad their victory was going to be, they were already dividing up the ministries… They once again underestimated the PSOE,” he stressed.

To which he added: “The reactionary wave seemed unstoppable in Europe and the next to fall consequently was Spain, an important piece on the European board because we are the fourth European economy and a symbol of social achievements, of new rights and freedoms. And it was here, fortunately for Spain and for Europe, where they failed, we were the containment dam on which that reactionary wave crashed and now we are trying to repeat it next July 9 in the European elections.”

Although he has not referred to Catalonia at any time, the general secretary of the PSOE has indicated that the Government pact that he has signed with Sumar entails an agreement to “consolidate the territorial diversity of Spain and a space for reunion.” He has also set as priorities for the next legislature full employment, strengthening the Welfare State, the fight against the climate emergency and “materializing” the constitutional right to housing.

During the time that the acting president has been inside the Málaga Congress Palace, some 150 people have remained in the vicinity, some with megaphones, chanting songs such as “Sánchez to prison for coup plotting and for felonies and with Puigdemont.” The protest has taken place without incident and under the supervision of a strong police force in the presence, apart from Sánchez and Sholz, of other European leaders, such as the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen; Malta, Robert Abela; Romania, and Marcel Ciolacu.

Santos Cerdán, the person on Sánchez’s team of negotiators who signed the agreement with Junts, explained that what the amnesty law lacks is for “it to be seen by the rest of the political groups, which are the ones that also have to sign it.” and that it will be registered in Congress “as soon as possible”, although it has not been specified if it will be next Monday. The Secretary of Organization of the PSOE has also said that he is “very happy” because they have managed to gather 179 votes for the investiture and “for 20 years no president had so many.”