<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez appeared before the Congress this Wednesday to report on the European Council meeting of October 23. However, as expected, the session became yet another example of the strong internal political polarization reigning in Spain, exacerbated by Junts' break with the PSOE and the highly likely parliamentary deadlock for the remainder of the legislature.</strong></h4> During his opening remarks, the Prime Minister emphasized that, at the last Brussels summit, "for the first time, housing has entered the European agenda" thanks to pressure from social democracy, which allowed this issue to be addressed. “Sixty percent of inequality in our country stems from the inability of so many people to access decent housing,” stated Sánchez, who called for a European-level public policy that makes housing the fifth pillar of the welfare state and advocated for the implementation of “new regulations” that would allow member states to take action in this area. Sánchez also emphasized the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 and championed the ecological transition, which he described as “the best engine we have.” “The Spanish model can be a model of success for Europe and the world,” he asserted. “Thanks to Spain, Europe continues to keep the flame alive in the fight against climate change,” he added. For this reason, the Prime Minister criticized the People's Party (PP) MEPs for voting “with the far right” against “the reduction of greenhouse gases.” Separately, Pedro Sánchez insisted that Spain has offered to host an international peace conference between Israel and Palestine and to “closely monitor the peace process” promoted by the US to “ensure that Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Hamas terrorist group comply with the agreement.” “Next week, the government will transfer an additional 46 million euros in socioeconomic aid to the Palestinian Authority through European programs,” he announced. From this point on, the European Council disappeared from the rest of the parliamentary session, which was almost exclusively focused on the growing internal political polarization. Sánchez himself shifted gears, attacking the current opposition, which he described as “absolutely destructive, offering not a single proposal, devoted to absurdity, and beholden to the far right,” and lamenting, without mentioning Junts, that “now it seems other parliamentary groups want to join in this deadlock.” For his part, the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, accused Sánchez of normalizing “the unacceptable” and ensuring that “Spaniards pay with their money for a government that doesn't work” and that “only offers lies, corruption, and disloyalty.” Therefore, to avoid continuing to govern “under these conditions” and condemning the country to “a historic waste of time” after the withdrawal of parliamentary support, he demanded that Sánchez call elections. “The responsibility to call elections is yours, and it is a political and moral obligation,” he warned. Santiago Abascal, of Vox, accused Sánchez of being an “unscrupulous narcissist” who is propped up in the government by “a flotilla of layabouts and thugs directed by terrorists and jihadists.” For her part, Verónica Martínez Barbero, spokesperson for Sumar (the junior partner in the coalition government) in Congress, called on the Spanish government to act “now” on housing issues. She defended a democracy based on freedom and social equality, “where people can live with dignity,” and which “is being destroyed by speculation and rent-seeking.” She accused the People's Party (PP) of having joined the “vulture funds.” One of the most anticipated speeches, given the current political climate, was that of Míriam Nogueras, spokesperson for Junts in Congress, who denounced the government for “only acting when pressured.” “You haven't kept your promises, you're not a man of your word, and it seems you're only interested in power,” she declared. “Your failures have caused us to break down, and you've lost the majority you need to govern, leaving the legislature blocked,” she continued. “You are irresponsible, and the consequences of your failures are your responsibility, not Junts',” she concluded.
