The executive of the pro-independence party Junts (Together for Catalonia) has this evening approved a vote of abstention by its 32 MPs when the Catalan Parliament decides on the investiture as president of Pere Aragonès, of ERC (Republican Left), tomorrow afternoon. The implication: the first-ballot vote will fail for want of an absolute majority of the 135 parliamentary representatives in the house.
The reasons given by the party leadership, having listened to members of the negotiating team and engaged in a long debate within the party, is that "it has not been possible to reach any agreement for the legislature that would guarantee a stable government, enable a way out from the social and economic crisis that Catalonia is suffering and, at the same time, implement the mandate of the 14th February elections, in which independence for the first time in history surpassed 52% of the vote".
Legislative agreement
Through a press statement made public this evening, the party reiterates, however, that "the aim of Junts has been and continues to be the creation of a legislature agreement that guarantees a pro-independence government."
Junts has stated since Tuesday, when the general secretary Jordi Sànchez set out the party's position in an address, that there is still no agreement with ERC to ensure a solid and stable government. The spokesperson for the parliamentary group, Gemma Geis, yesterday conveyed to the speaker of parliament, Laura Borràs, that from her party it was likely that there would not be a vote in favour of the investiture of Pere Aragonès on Friday.
Catalan parliamentary speaker, Laura Borràs, and Junts spokesperson, Gemma Geis, on Tuesday in Parliament / Efe
Since then, there has only been one meeting between the ERC and Junts negotiating teams. It took place yesterday afternoon in Parliament and allowed ERC to present Junts with a new proposal on the Council for the Republic, one of the key points blocking the agreement.
Junts did not see any new approach in this proposal, according to sources in the party, who say that the negotiation with ERC is causing deep discomfort within the political group.
In fact, the president of the party, Carles Puigdemont, highlighted this morning in a thread of tweets the work that has been carried out from exile: "You have seen us stand up and take the initiative", he said, which, he added, "has angered the state and at the same time has upset some sectors of the independence movement, who are bothering less and less to disguise their views."
In the main image, Jordi Sànchez, Laura Borràs and Elsa Artadi of Junts, on election night / Jordi Play