The acting Spanish PM, Pedro Sánchez, will wait until the end of August or the beginning of September to begin new negotiations with Spanish Congress parties to close an agreement that will make him prime minister, including pro-independence parties.
This Friday, the round of meetings with civil society entities ended and he explained that the time has come to "summarise and systematise" the proposals they have made in order to present an "open, common and progressive proposal to the parties." Sánchez prioritises meeting with the forces that are "susceptible" to support him, among which he has enumerated Basque nationalists PNB, the regionalist party of Cantabria PRC, "the Catalan nationalist forces" and Podemos. He did not explain, however, neither the order of meetings nor the detail of when they will take place. He said that it is not a closed proposal but rather that his party PSOE are willing to accept changes, especially as a result of the negotiation that can be opened with Podemos. He also said that he wants to meet with right wing PP and Cs to insist on the "responsibility" they have to facilitate the government.
The time to get the necessary supports for investiture ends on 23rd September. However, the leader of the PSOE has announced that he will wait until the end of August or the beginning of September to meet with the parties in order to present an "open" program, which the Socialists will modify by incorporating the proposals from the different groups with whom they met in recent days.
Fourteen meetings
In total, there were 14 meetings with more than 180 groups, to whom Pedro Sánchez expressed his gratitude for their attitude. He stated that all of them have put forward proposals that could boost a progressive government and he also showed a "desire" to form government soon and for it to be progressive. Sánchez said that they further encounters could still be held at the end of August as they have received requests from more collectives. One of those who asked for it was Òmnium Cultural, through its president jailed in Lledoners, Jordi Cuixart. The Spanish government, however, closed the door to this meeting.
The PSOE will therefore dedicate the next days to meet with parties that are "susceptible" to support him -the PNB, the Regionalist Party of Cantabria (the only one who has already given him support in the first investiture), Catalan parties and, especially, Podemos.
Sanchez did not specify whether he will meet in the first place with Pablo Iglesias' Podemos, which is essential to unblock the investiture. What has come to light is that the negotiations will not be "closed" and that the schedule can incorporate changes that come from Podemos.
"It is not a closed programme but one that enables negotiation with Podemos on the basis of policies and proposals; what citizens need is not talking about the shape but the content," he declared before meeting with culture collectives.
He insists on the abstention from the right wing parties
Apart from the meetings with the forces that he believes can provide the support for the investiture, Sánchez also wants to meet with the right wing parties to request "responsibility" and "facilitate" the formation of government in Spain.
Ciudadanos (Cs) has already expressed that its leader Rivera does not intend to attend the meeting (as he did during the first round). Sánchez referred to this: "It is the fourth time he refuses to speak with a legitimate representative of the citizenship who represents the first political force in the country; it is his way of understanding democracy and citizens will take note of his behaviour."