Podemos Threatens to Block the Transfer of Immigration Powers to Catalonia

PSOE and Junts have registered the law in the Congress of Deputies this morning to transfer immigration powers to Catalonia. They have agreed to grant Mossos control of borders and transfer to Catalonia the management of returns and CIEs. However, the law could end up stalling due to the opposition of some political parties.

PSOE was already aware of the hostility from PP, which has announced its decision to appeal to the Constitutional Court. But a less expected surprise has emerged, the threat from Podemos to block the organic law agreed upon by juntaires and socialists.

The general secretary of Podemos, Ione Belarra, has criticized PSOE's pact "with an anti-immigration party that competes with the Catalan far-right." And she has made it clear that "It won't be done with Podemos's votes." Additionally, she has urged the Government to approve the ILP for the regularization of 500,000 illegal immigrants that has been pending for a year.

Without Podemos's Votes, It Can't Be Approved

Podemos's threat is real and could end up frustrating the aspirations of both Junts and the socialists. The agreement has been an achievement of the negotiating teams, but now it will have to be debated and approved in the Congress of Deputies.

PP, Vox, and UPN are expected to vote against it, while the investiture bloc will vote in favor. The final decision will fall on the four deputies of Podemos, who, if they abstain or vote against, will prevent it from moving forward.

Ione Belarra's public message aligns with what Podemos leaders say behind closed doors. The purple formation will not allow the law to be approved with their votes under any circumstances. They believe it would provide ammunition to the far-right in Catalonia, and that Podemos must act as a firewall to guarantee more social rights.

PSOE now has a difficult mission, which is to convince the purples to unblock a vital law for Pedro Sánchez's continuity. Otherwise, it could end up like other PSOE commitments such as the Catalan one in Europe or the amnesty law. Despite having done everything possible to push them forward, they ultimately couldn't be materialized.

The conflict goes further because Podemos's boycott would leave the Government in a very critical position. Not only due to Junts's anger but also and above all because it would highlight the incompatibility of the parties that were shoehorned into the investiture pact.

Tensions between the left wing of the Government, with Podemos, and the right wing, with Junts and PNV, have been causing unsustainable tension for some time. The transfer of immigration powers could be the trigger for the crisis that has been brewing for a long time. The only good news for Sánchez is that he has managed to buy time.