Thursday something unusual happened in Congressespecially on the eve of the May 28 elections. The PSOE and the PPeternal enemies throughout the legislature, united their votes to reform the sexual freedom law that was approved by Congress less than a year ago and sold and cheered as historic and emblematic of the left-wing coalition.
Thursday was a almost complete amendment to that story. The PSOE and the PP joined the PNV, Cs, the PDECat and others until they reached 233 deputies and defeated a left-wing front made up of Podemos (Sánchez’s partner) and ERC and Bildu, the main allies of the Government, who gathered 59 votes. Together, those of Puigdemont opposed to the “surrender & rdquor; from ERC to the PSOE, they abstained. Curious. And Vox did not vote to mark its total opposition to a progressive law and its distance from the PP which, since the Tamames motion, it once again calls a “cowardly right wing”.
What happened? Has a pact of the center been imposed against the most radical parties? Yes, but only for one day. The PSOE and the PP voted together, but while the popular ones were exultant at having saved the enemy government, those of the PSOE were sadder. they had won but the story of the legislature was blown up. But it was only an exception and for the record, Sánchez went to Doñana to criticize a law of the Junta de Andalucía and underline the low awareness of the right (PP and Vox united) in the face of climate change. In addition, the grimace Montero and Belarra They do not plan to leave the Government and official sources assure that the coalition will continue and that Sánchez does not want to do without Podemos either. so that the pact between the PSOE and the PP would only be a flash in the pan.
Sánchez has had to rectify and agree with Feijóo on the reform of the law on sexual freedom in the face of the radical refusal of Podemos to admit the great failure of the norm: 1,000 sexual offenders have seen their sentence reduced
Both things are true, but there is an underlying reality. The Government approved the law despite the misgivings of some of its ministers and the vice president carmen bald and the then Minister of Justice (today a Constitutional magistrate) paid for Sánchez to prioritize the green light to Irene Montero (not to excite Iglesias) to the legal improvisation wrapped in the cellophane of universal feminism and progressivism. But shortly after its entry into force (October) it was seen that the law had more holes than Emmental cheese. Sánchez refused to accept it (We can swallow NATO and the change with Morocco), but the reality is final. As of today, 1,000 reduced sentences and 100 releases for sex offenders. A great discredit before the opinion and although Podemos refused to reform the law -because of what Manuela Carmena defined as “childish arrogance& rdquor;- it had to be done. Sánchez had to rectify if he did not want to be burned.
And maybe Feijóo’s PPwhich lost much of its moderate image by categorically refusing to agree to the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary, has believed that making the PSOE rectify -and saving it from a spectacular defeat- would boost his centrist credibility and a mood away from Abascal. Well at an election time. Sánchez and Feijóo have decided to throw some water at the extreme bipolarization of the legislature to reach out to moderate voters. And to the undecided. Both essential for big parties.
Thursday’s vote gives clues that will be repeated because in no European country can there be an absolute divorce between conservatives and socialists. Brussels works because it is a rare formula for a grand coalition.
Related news
Buthour priority is 28M. Feijóo wants to look good and that Isabel Díaz Ayuso does not crush in Madrid. And Sánchez is in the process of swallowing Podemos (Iglesias) in Sumar (Yolanda). It will not be easy, but a “very timely” CIS survey says that, if they are disunited, Podemos will sink. And the advantage (in the CIS) of the left over the right increases in a month from 5 to 10 points. It is not what the vast majority of other surveys say, but Sánchez pedals as if he believed it. He likes to fight every battle and win it. And after Xi Jinping he will see Biden on May 12. Feijóo calculates and thinks about Ximo Puig. Can Sánchez win in December without Andalusia, Madrid and Valencia, three of the four most populous communities?
The answers to the Sánchez-Feijóo duel, and to that of Díaz-Iglesias, will be clearer after 28M.