Puigdemont Wants to Get Back at Pedro Sánchez

Things are getting complicated for Pedro Sánchez. Polls continue to place him far from an absolute majority and ERC, one of his priority partners, is in free fall in the polls. To make matters worse, Junts hasn't forgotten what happened a few days ago in Barcelona's city council and wants revenge with the upcoming investiture.

Carles Puigdemont's party isn't willing to collaborate with a potential Pedro Sánchez government. Their argument is that Catalonia is worse off than before Sánchez became president. According to the head of the list, Míriam Nogueras, "We have lost powers, resources, and reputation."

Struggle for the Pro-Independence Space

Junts's position is clear and involves distancing themselves from ERC's strategy in Madrid. Meanwhile, the Republicans present themselves as the negotiating party that has freed the procés prisoners, they point to the dialogue table as a deception. ERC sees Sánchez as the lesser evil and Junts as someone who "has done nothing to solve the conflict in Catalonia."

Even so, Puigdemont has an ace up his sleeve and doesn't rule out conditioning Sánchez's investiture on a maximum demand. It wouldn't be the first time. In 2018, when PSOE knocked on his door, the fugitive Catalan president offered his deputies in exchange for the amnesty of the prisoners.

On that occasion, the party leader in Madrid, Marta Pascal, disobeyed Waterloo's orders. But this time things are different since Puigdemont has an obedient henchman in Congress like Míriam Nogueras. She has already made it clear that "JxCAT can't make Pedro Sánchez president."

Puigdemont's Revenge

The current elections also come amid a confrontation between Junts and PSC over what happened in Barcelona's city council. The animosity is such that the Junts members are even willing to blow up the pact in the provincial council and be left without real territorial power. Puigdemont now has the opportunity to get back at Sánchez.

The fugitive president has crafted a list to his liking to continue his crusade against PSOE in Madrid. And from Waterloo, he uses his most embittered rhetoric to set the course to follow. "Anyone who intends to stabilize any Spanish Government will be contributing to the dissolution of the nation," he said on his Twitter account.

With ERC bleeding and Junts in a vengeful mood, Pedro Sánchez's Catalan flank is collapsing at the most critical moment. And things could get even worse because there are already voices within Junts calling to force a repeat of elections.