It’s the taboo word. Do not say. It is not mentioned, even though it is the elephant in the room. An elephant that grows larger and larger, taking over the stage. But Pedro Sánchez avoids it. He avoids her. Not even now that he has already been proposed by the King as a candidate for the investiture. And even though he promised that at this point he would speak “with total frankness, with total transparency.” The already candidate does not mention it even though everything revolves around the amnesty. He prefers to use dialectic, euphemism. He promises “generosity” and “politics” to overcome the Catalan “problem.”
Sánchez’s contortionisms are increasingly complex. Everyone talks about amnesty, a formula for amnesty is being negotiated, but publicly that concept does not exist. But the evidence is clear. Even for Sánchez’s own subconscious. “Even the Constitutional Court will have to rule,” he said, here without euphemism, expressly asked about the situation of the negotiations on the amnesty with the Catalan independentists.
The flying goal to give explanations about the “formula” of the amnesty is changing kilometer. A few weeks ago, from New York, Sánchez indicated that it would be when “I can be designated a candidate.” It already is. Now it is determined when there is an agreement with the nationalists. If there is a signature, the agreement will be announced. If not, not even. But the self-tightening corset of socialists offers clues.
“I have taken decisive steps towards coexistence and harmony. Territorial tensions have receded and Spain is more united than in 2018. My purpose is to follow that roadmap of coexistence and harmony,” said the socialist leader, who immediately followed limited: “Our framework will be, as it has always been, the Constitution.”
Of course, when asked by journalists about the content of the negotiation, he admitted: “Although the conversations have to be discreet, the agreements will be transparent and known. They have to be endorsed by the legislative power. Even the Constitutional Court will have to pronounce.”
More clues that although it is not mentioned, the amnesty runs through the backbone of Sánchez’s possible investiture. The already candidate for the investiture has explicitly and forcefully rejected the holding of a referendum. Forcefulness that has not been expressed about the amnesty. “The referendum is contrary to what I have always defended. In addition to not being included in the Constitution, what the Catalans want is to turn the page and provoke a reunion between Catalans and between Catalans and Spanish society. And that is where we “We are going to move. Not only because of a constitutional requirement, but because of a political conviction.”
Sánchez is already a candidate for the investiture. He appeared in La Moncloa after appearances in Congress by Alberto Núñez Feijóo and Francina Armengol, president of Congress, despite the fact that he went to see the King before the leader of the PP. He waited until everything was official to leave. But he did not reveal any date. He gave no clues as to when he wants his investiture session to be. “I would like it to happen as soon as possible, but the negotiations are not going to be easy.”
The PSOE and the Government would like it to be in October, before the swearing-in of the Constitution, on October 31, by Princess Leonor. But they admit that she “depends on others.” Of course, what Sánchez does want to transfer is more agility and action than Feijóo. Contrast urgency with the fact that Feijóo asked for a month. For now, this Tuesday he will meet in Congress with Yolanda Díaz, leader of Sumar.
The socialist candidate plans to meet in Congress in the coming weeks, because he says it is the right place, with all the groups except Vox. That is to say, he will sit, for example, with the representatives of Bildu and Junts. The approach is that the meetings will be led by Sánchez but that they will be with the parliamentary groups. In this way, avoid the photo with Carles Puigdemont or Oriol Junqueras. At least for now. Yes, he plans to meet with Feijóo, but he will not ask the PP to vote.
“I consider it out of place knowing the political positions and the political and territorial alliances that the PP and Feijóo are making,” he said in reference to the pacts with Vox. Yes, he will ask, again, the leader of the PP to address the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary, whose mandate has expired for 5 years.