MADRID (dpa-AFX) – According to media reports, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Snchez canceled a trip to Poland and Moldova at short notice in order to be able to take part in the debate and vote on a 16 billion euro relief package in Parliament on Thursday. The trip will be postponed “due to deadlines”, the state television broadcaster RTVE and other media reported on Wednesday, citing government circles. A government spokesman confirmed this information on request.
With the emergency program, the central government wants to support consumers and companies because of the sharp rise in energy costs and the consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. However, the approval of the project by Parliament, which had long been considered certain, was on the brink on Wednesday evening. The reason is a spying affair that was uncovered just a few days ago, in which dozens of Catalan separatists are said to have been monitored by the secret service with the help of the Israeli spy software Pegasus.
The left-wing minority government is dependent on the votes of the 13 representatives of the left-wing, moderately separatist ERC party in parliament. But she blames the government for the spying. During a parliamentary debate on Wednesday, she made it clear that voting against the relief package was therefore being considered. The ERC was also not satisfied with Snchez’s assurance that the affair would be investigated. Party leader and Catalan regional president Pere Aragons called on Wednesday for Defense Minister Margarita Robles to be dismissed.
According to the media, Snchez tried in the evening to persuade the conservative opposition leader Alberto Nez Feijo to abstain from the MPs of the People’s Party PP in the vote scheduled for Thursday. So far, Snchez has secured 169 yes votes. He is seven short of an absolute majority. If the 88 PP representatives abstained, however, he would not need them.
The anti-crisis plan envisages direct aid and tax breaks amounting to six billion euros and a further ten billion euros in state-supported loans. The measures, including rent subsidies and fuel subsidies, should initially apply until June 30./er/DP/he