First, spending ceiling and deficit path. Then, we’ll see. It is not common, but at this time the sources consulted agree Socialist party (PSOE) and those of Together for Catalonia. Both separate the negotiations from the stability objectives of the Budgets and both have also opened up – not without nuances – to bring their positions closerin principle very opposed, on the path of deficit. It’s a drastic change. Although relations have never been broken and a path of dialogue has always been maintained; Now there is interest, judging by what each other conveys, in be understood.
It’s a subtle difference. Junts sources confirm that, since the monthly meetings were agreed between Carles Puigdemont and the PSOE, no month has been failed. Therefore, it has never been possible to talk about broken relationships. But the truth is that a few days ago the Government’s position regarding the deficit path was drastic: do not change a comma and Junts, for its part, insisted again and again that in no case They would vote in favor of the same deficit path that they already overturned in July. That distance ended with the Executive withdrawing the debate and voting from the agenda of this Thursday’s plenary session. There were differences and no sense that they could be resolved.
Now, the music is very different. The post-convergent They valued the PSOE movement very positively by withdrawing from the deficit path and they also welcome the echoes that come from Ferraz. Socialist sources do not refuse, at this time, to modify the path in some way. And the response of the party that leads in Madrid Miriam Nogueras It is positive. Something has changed.
Both parties assure, however, that all that is on the table right now is the deficit path. First of all, Junts wants to greatly increase the percentage for the autonomous communities. He wants, to begin with, a third of the deficit margin. However, It is not an immutable idea. At Junts they accept that everyone has a position. “They have theirs and we have ours; we have to negotiate.” In the Government they are open, although to a point. Negotiate, yes, but “a third, no”.
It is evidence that a world separates socialist and socialist sensibilities. post-convergentbut both want to negotiate the stability objectives because They have incentives. For the Government, it would be a symptom of normalization of the legislature and of negotiating strength to move forward with the prelude to the Budgets and Junts could sell its parish that has pushed the Executive to the limit to achieve a good business for Catalonia.
The post-convergent They have the feeling, as they say privately, that the PSOE has understood what the “playing field” of the legislature. They refer to the fact that their movements in Congress ―vote against seasonal rentals or the immigration law– and their constant warnings that they would not compromise with a spending ceiling that they were not interested in would have made the Government understand that “they have to negotiate with us until the last point.”
The path, before the Junts congress
At Junts, however, they do not talk about dates. In fact, they point out that it is the Government that has the “responsibility” and, therefore, who has to set the negotiation times. In Moncloa they say that their intention is to present a deficit path proposal, after negotiation with the different groups, before the Junts congresswhich is celebrated at the end of October. They will do so whether the negotiations reach a successful conclusion or not.
“We will present it in a few weeks whether you plan to go out or not“, they slide. Among other things, they argue that there is a rush because “the City Councils need it.” The negotiation of the Budgets will be something else. Just as Junts deals with both things separately, so does the PSOE. “We negotiate measure by measure” Furthermore, both insist that there are no other issues that intervene in the negotiation, something that is not believed in other parliamentary groups of the investiture majority, which slip that the economic negotiation could be a screen to hide. other types of compensation. An example could be the activation of commissions Operation Catalonia and the terrorist attacks of 17-A.
It is not a bad scenario to face next week’s break (from September 30 to October 4), when there is no plenary session. PSOE and Junts will not have to confront each other over other issues in Congress and that may favor the continuity of that negotiating will of each other. The path of deficit continues to be very uphill, but the two parts furthest from that majority necessary to move it forward convey better feelings and, above all, declare their willingness to pave the way. However, in this legislature, that is no guarantee of anything. There is still a long way to go.