Spanish governing party PSOE isn't discounting the chance that Pedro Sánchez's government might respond to this weekend's events in Catalonia by applying article 155 of the Spanish Constitution again and suspending Catalan autonomy. If that takes place, it says that "his hand won't shake, as it didn't shake in the past".
The spokesperson of PSOE's electoral committee, Esther Peña, has announced in a press conference that the Spanish government is finalising a study on the measures it could take within the framework of the Constitution so that there are "important consequences" for the "infringement of rights" which they believe has taken place in Catalonia with the "compliance" of the Catalan government and Torra "abandoning his role".
The spokesperson also attacked Catalan president Quim Torra for "disparaging" the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) and his references to the "Slovenian path" to independence. "Just mentioning this path is an error, complete madness and very rash, which he'll have to explain," she said.
PSOE believes that the barriers lifted on toll roads by members of the Committees for Defence of the Republic (CDR), coinciding with the peak hours of traffic returning from the bank holiday weekend, and other incidents have to have consequences because "neither can they block routes, nor can they end with the free circulation of the public".
After emphasising that the situation in Catalonia is one of "grave deterioration" in social terms and when it comes to well-being and public services, as well as social harmony, she called on independence supporters to not create more problems.
She accused Torra of giving the "impression he doesn't know what his job is, which is none other than ensuring the social harmony and the security" of Catalan citizens. She warned him that "he cannot refrain from" acting or speaking in response to situations like those created by the CDR.
As to whether PSOE believes over the path of appeasement undertaken by the Spanish government towards its Catalan counterpart, Peña emphasised that their "maxim will continue being dialogue and the search for social harmony". "We won't move from here, that's PSOE's hallmark", she said, confirming that nor will they renounce negotiating on the 2019 budget with the Catalan parties in the Spanish Congress.
Asked whether Sánchez will call on or meet with the leaders of the opposition to agree upon decisions he might taken with respect to the Congress, Peña only responded that all their cards are on the table whenever they sit down.