Junts and ERC Bring the Worst of the 'Procés' to Congress

One of the worst consequences of the Procés was the institutional paralysis in Catalonia. Parliament and the Govern were for years mortgaged by the national conflict. The pro-independence parties also imposed a new way of doing politics based on negotiation to the limit, blackmail, and a revanchism that hindered the normal functioning of public life.

The Procés ended in Catalonia, but ERC and Junts have transferred the worst of pro-independence politics to the Congress of Deputies. After a first year of the legislature marked by tension and legislative paralysis, ERC and Junts now leave the Government without a budget for 2025.

With the accounts already overdue, the Catalan pro-independence parties have set demands that are unmanageable even for Pedro Sánchez. ERC and Junts's policy of maximum demands has led the Government to forgo the approval of the accounts for this year. This represents a serious setback for the planned investments to carry out legislative reforms.

In practice, this means more institutional paralysis and less capacity to face challenges in especially turbulent times. But it also highlights the disastrous consequences of Pedro Sánchez's decision to mortgage the Government of Spain with pro-independence politics.

The Endless Agony of Pedro Sánchez

Pro-independence politics got used to last-minute negotiations and 'historic' agreements, and normalized this way of doing politics. This is leading the Government of Spain and Congress to a perpetual collapse. The example has been the budget negotiation, which has derailed due to the overconfidence of some and the intransigence of others.

ERC and Junts have taken a hard stance and demanded compliance with the agreements by the PSOE as a condition to give the green light. But for that, they would have to first negotiate the spending ceiling, and they are already out of time. Additionally, the Republicans and post-convergents have requested an amount of investments far above what the Government could offer.

The extension of the budgets doesn't endanger the legislature. But it does prolong the agony of the Government, which will have to continue negotiating piece by piece with the pro-independence parties. A very risky situation considering the fragile balance of the investiture bloc and the growing tension between Podemos and Junts.

The PSOE and PSC Tie Themselves to Pro-Independence Politics

Pedro Sánchez is now following the same steps as Salvador Illa in Catalonia. The President of the Generalitat has also had to forgo the budgets after ERC's 'no' due to the non-compliance with singular financing.

It is the consequence of the PSOE's alliance strategy with the pro-independence parties to prevent the right from governing. This has allowed the left and the pro-independence parties to survive in the midst of an electoral debacle. But the socialists are paying a very high price, that of the institutional paralysis that led Catalonia to ruin.

The inability to approve the budgets has put Salvador Illa's plan to promote the "third transformation" of Catalonia against the ropes. The crisis now reaches the Congress of Deputies, where the opposition is already rubbing their hands.

The worst for the PSOE and PSC is the feeling of being continuously at the whims of the pro-independence parties. In the short and medium term, it hinders the Government's legislative action, and in the long term, it complicates the electoral recovery to continue facing the right. ERC and Junts transfer the worst of pro-independence politics to Madrid, and perpetuate the crisis of Sánchez's leadership.