The PSOE experienced another challenging day in Congress, recording four more defeats. Since Pedro Sánchez’s investiture last December, they have now faced a total of 28 setbacks. On this occasion, the socialists not only witnessed the approval of two Senate amendments to the Parity Law, but also faced significant defeats regarding their proposals to reform the Immigration Law and set deficit targets.
In both instances, the decision of Junts played a critical role. Their votes against these proposals led to the collapse of a deficit path that was pivotal for the 2025 budget discussions. Additionally, their rejection contributed to the failure of a legislative change proposed by PSOE, Sumar, and CC, which aimed to enforce the distribution of unaccompanied immigrant minors among the autonomous communities. Junts sided with the PP and Vox in voting against these measures.
The coalition government suffered its first defeat on January 10, 2024, when Podemos rejected a decree law proposed by Minister Yolanda Díaz that aimed to reform unemployment benefits. Just three weeks later, Junts again proved decisive by blocking an Amnesty Law aimed at providing relief to political prisoners. Their refusal to support the motion resulted in the text being sent back to the Justice Commission as it failed to meet the required votes.
On February 29, the Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, faced a political censure after two Civil Guard officers died in Barbate, Cádiz, due to an encounter with a drug trafficking boat. The motion, driven by the PP and supported by Vox, was passed with abstentions from Podemos and Junts, both of whom are normally aligned with the coalition.
On March 14, the opposition achieved a victory in the so-called ‘Koldo case’ by passing an initiative from the PP. This motion demanded accountability from the government regarding pandemic contracts, with ERC and Junts abstaining from the usual ‘no’ camp led by PSOE and Sumar.
The defeats continued, with a notable setback in early April when the Congress approved a PP initiative demanding the deflation of income tax to compensate for inflation, even after PSOE voted against it; the initiative gained support due to the abstentions from Junts, PNV, and BNG.
On April 23, PSOE and Sumar failed to stop the Congress from considering a PP law proposal that sought to weaken protections for the Iberian wolf, supported by Vox, Junts, and PNV, while Bildu opted to abstain.
By late May, the PSOE witnessed six additional defeats during a plenary session and ultimately withdrew their proposal concerning the reform of land law due to insufficient support. They also saw their law against pimping rejected, as it only garnered support from a mixed group of smaller parties, with the rest of their allies, including Sumar, voting against it.
On May 23, they set a record with five defeats on one day. These included two in regard to a PP initiative concerning access to essential foods and three in a motion about foreign policy.
The following week, on May 30, the coalition government faced two more defeats due to a lack of support from Junts and PNV. They saw another initiative aimed at providing unions with more economic information for collective bargaining rejected, as well as losing a point of a PP motion urging tax exemptions for youth workers.
On June 20, the PSOE faced further challenges as seven parts of a PP non-law proposal related to Western Sahara and Moroccan relations were approved, exceeding the previous record of five defeats in a single day.
The trend continued on June 27, with the PSOE losing seven votes. The opposition successfully pushed through a non-law proposal demanding an increase in primary healthcare professionals for the National Health System, supported by the PP, Vox, PNV, and UPN, while ERC and Podemos abstained.
Despite voting against it, the ruling coalition also saw six points of a PP motion regarding parliamentary control and legislative compliance approved in the same session. The government’s series of setbacks highlights ongoing tensions within Spanish politics and the challenges of garnering support among diverse coalition partners.
Image and News Source: https://www.infobae.com/espana/agencias/2024/07/23/el-psoe-pierde-otras-cuatro-votaciones-en-el-pleno-del-congreso-y-suma-ya-32-derrotas-desde-el-inicio-de-legislatura/
