ERC lowers its demands with PSOE and PSC: 'Making adequate progress'

Since his reelection as president of ERC, Oriol Junqueras has set a very clear narrative. Under his leadership, Esquerra will be relentless with the socialists and all their steps will be aimed at holding a self-determination referendum. By now, it has become clear that they won't bring down any socialist government, and that they've forgotten about their highest goals in order to survive day to day.

Their leaders confirm it daily with each new statement. This morning, Gemma Nierga interviewed ERC's spokesperson on El Cafè d’Idees (TVE). Ester Capell confirmed that their relations with PSOE and PSC "are progressing adequately," and that they're not considering breaking with President Pedro Sánchez or Salvador Illa.

Singular funding and the transfer of Rodalies were the two main demands from the republicans to support socialist governments in Catalonia and Madrid. It seems more than evident that the socialists won't be able to deliver, at least not within the agreed timeline. Faced with this, ERC is adjusting their discourse to justify their submission to PSOE and PSC.

ERC lowers its demands 

Ester Capella acknowledges that funding is "where we're very green," and sets June 30 as the deadline. But Junqueras isn't considering breaking with Illa if the system isn't defined within a month. The proof of this is that, to give the socialists a push, ERC has adopted the new concept of "generalizable singular funding."

This means that the system that was initially supposed to be "singular" for Catalonia, meaning unique, will now be exportable to the rest of the communities. Esquerra adopts PSOE/PSC's "coffee for everyone" so they can ultimately claim they've fulfilled the agreement.

The same goes for Rodalies, where the republicans are now lowering the tone regarding the demand. "We've always said that the transfer isn't automatic," said ERC's spokesperson. She used the guidelines approved by the EU as an excuse, but assured that this issue "is progressing better" than the funding one.

Without budgets

Meanwhile, the spokesperson criticized that Govern and Comuns govern by decree as recently warned by Consell de Garanties. "This business of approving decrees where taxes are incorporated has a significant weakness," said Capella.

At the same time, she defended the credit supplement as a substitute mechanism for budgets to govern. This is a contradiction in itself, because the credit supplement is an extraordinary mechanism intended for unforeseen situations. Governing without budgets is the greatest sign of a government's weakness, no matter how many supplements are approved.

ERC also has a justification for this. "It's the solution ERC has found to force the socialists to take steps forward," said Capella. "It's like flirting, you have to show me every day that you're worthy of my trust," she added.

Ultimately, listening to the republican spokesperson, it seems difficult to think that ERC will break with PSOE/PSC no matter how many breaches occur. Their uncritical support in the face of the latest alleged corruption scandals makes it clear that ERC has sided with the Sanchista bloc and won't move from there. That's why they're starting to lower their demands.