He PSOE leave behind the reflection that Irene Montero e Ione Herb have been left alone in opposition to the reform of the The law of the only yes is yes that they have registered alone in the Cortes and assumes that, if an agreement is not finally reached, the group of United We can act together. They assume it, according to socialist sources, despite maintaining that the position of the purples around the Minister of Equality is not unanimous. Montero has not had the public support of the rest of the bloc’s ministers.
Neither the second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, nor the Minister of Consumption, Alberto Garzón, or that of Universities, Joan Subirats, have supported the idea that the modification of the socialist dynamits consent as a central figure of the law. The conviction that there were internal differences made the PSOE think that Montero would give in and an agreement within the Government would be possible, and later, once they presented their proposal alone, that United We Can not vote cohesively.
There are weeks left for the vote on the reform, first on its consideration and then the final approval, and the negotiations will continue. From now on, the interlocutors will be the Minister of the Presidency, Felix Bolanosand the Minister of Finance and Deputy Secretary General of the PSOE, Maria Jesus Monteroinstead of the head of Justice, Pillar Wolf. The possibility of an agreement cannot yet be ruled out, although the margin is minimal because the PSOE considers that its proposal -include subtypes for intimidation or violence that increase the penalties for sexual acts committed in the future- is the only one that will avoid lower sentences. And even that Podemos supported the change without a pact in between, as has happened with the Animal Welfare law. But the approach at the moment in the socialist ranks is that whatever happens there will be no cracks in the ‘purple’ group. something that, moreover, their partners have already transmitted.
There cannot be, PSOE sources explain, because “space must be held together.” The PSOE knows that the vice president must remain close to Podemos because it depends on whether they reach an agreement to go together – under the brand of Díaz, Sumar – to the general elections. Without this unitary candidacy it is practically impossible to reissue the coalition government. That is why the Socialists are willing to let their left do and they understand that Díaz cannot get out of those margins. For weeks they have been urging him to close his alliance with Podemos and thus help to revive the purple initials in the regional and municipal elections in May.
The PSOE can afford a distinctive vote from its coalition partners because it takes the support of the PP for granted. Alberto Núñez Feijóo has committed it and the socialist ministers take it for granted. But it is a road with many curves for the coalition government. If Unidas Podemos did not support the reform of its own law, it would mean a clear fracture of the coalition, which would cause a climate of mutual distrust, even greater than the one that has existed throughout the legislature. Purple sources maintain that precisely for this reason there will be understanding because otherwise the clash will lead to a “deep crisis”. “Necessity will cause white smoke”.
Scare off a deeper crisis
Faced with the thesis, publicly supported by the Socialists, that if necessary they will carry out the reform with the PP, sources from the United We Can block suggest that this is not what most convinces the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, and for this reason he has put Bolaños and Montero to negotiate. And right now, they say, “space is cohesive” and there are many people working to find a solution to this issue. The vice president herself and the deputies Enrique Santiago and Jaume Asens, in addition, of course, from the Equality team. The sources consulted corroborate that, indeed, they will vote in unison.
They also maintain that there are people within the PSOE warning that “they cannot get the reform out with the PP”, despite acknowledging that at the time Sánchez himself spoke with Irene Montero about lowering the sentences for sexual offenders, he told her that ” it had to be fixed” and warned him that, if not, the socialists would take action. But by deciding to present the bill alone, what has been caused, they defend, is a “coalition crisis.”
That is why hope of an agreement is not lost, above all, they point out, due to the now participation of María Jesús Montero, “much more political than Llop or Bolaños”. However, in the socialist ranks, without closing the door to understanding, the position is to carry out the reform even if it is with the PP because they are aware of the “damage” of dripping sentence reductions. They believe that the people want and support the change, at least as a political gesture. And they also think that Podemos will be penalized both for its refusal to change it and for its objections to the PSOE proposal, according to government sources.