It was the first face-to-face meeting between Santiago Abascal and Alberto Núñez Feijóo since the territorial relations of their parties exploded. The sparks that flew in the chamber indicated that the right has opened a new stage for the remainder of the term. The leader of Vox counterattacked the conservatives on Wednesday, completely breaking ties to show total harmony between the Popular Party and the PSOE: "They are a false opposition," he launched at the right-wing benches, accusing them of constantly "pretending" to be against Pedro Sánchez, but having strengthened several agreements recently that prove the good shape of bipartisanship as a bloc.
Abascal took advantage of the debate in the Lower House where Sánchez outlined his regeneration plan to debut his new strategy against the PP. Furthermore, he lumped the two main parties together, stating that "they have bought off all media outlets," so the Government's goal with the announcements made on Wednesday is to "buy editorial lines" and initiate "ideological harassment" against press freedom. Thus, this plan is a big farce, said the Vox president, as with his "openly totalitarian discourse," all Sánchez seeks is control of public opinion.
Additionally, the Vox leader warned of the danger of the plan being designed at La Moncloa because, he says, it will allow the "closure" of those media outlets "that the President of the Government does not like" for having reported in recent months on judicial investigations involving the President's wife or brother. "He has turned lying into a way to stay in La Moncloa," reprimanded the head of the Government after describing the last two terms as a "scam."
A "scam" in which the PP plays a significant role, emphasized Abascal, who devoted most of his intervention to attacking the party that until a few days ago was his ally in five regional governments. "It is incomprehensible that they speak of a pinch between Vox and Sánchez," reflected Abascal after listing the continuous agreements reached by the PP with the PSOE: the renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary and other constitutional bodies, the rapprochement between both forces in Brussels, or the regularization of half a million immigrants.
Abascal placed special importance on this last point after Vox decided to leave the governments it shared with the PP due to the approval by the conservatives of the distribution of unaccompanied minor migrants. In this regard, Abascal challenged both the PP and the PSOE to ask through public consultations the residents of neighborhoods with immigrant reception centers if they are in favor of their presence.
The partners: "It's a joke"
From Sumar, its spokesperson Íñigo Errejón, has insisted that it is necessary to "democratize the Spanish State" because the election results "are respected only sometimes." In his opinion, those in power "are the masters of money," the "powers that align when there is a right-wing government but when there is a left-wing government, they dedicate themselves to annoying it."
Errejón has stated that democracy in Spain "is being besieged" and has advocated for "dismantling that machinery" which he attributes to the "rich and powerful and the fascists." The Sumar spokesperson said he wants a "free and strong society" where there are "countervailing forces" to "control public but also private power." "Democratizing," he said, "is about distributing power and wealth."
Much harsher was Gabriel Rufián from ERC party, who criticized the President of the Government for coming to Congress without any specific measures for democratic regeneration and improving transparency regarding the media. "It's a joke, what did he come here to do today?" the republican wondered.
In Junts (pro-Catalan independence political party), they also do not trust La Moncloa's strategy. In fact, they believe that this plan "will fail," as their spokesperson, Miriam Nogueras, has considered it, describing it as "a movie" and "a dead letter" that has nothing to do with regeneration, as if it goes ahead, it will be thanks to a new pact with the PP while also considering it "the mud machine." "They lack courage, they are late," Nogueras lamented. "The evil is irreversible, and the pus is coming out from all sides."