On Tuesday, a group meeting is expected to address the issue, and various sectors of Sumar are confident in a pact that avoids fracture.
Compromís and Sumar hope to have a decision by early this week regarding the continued presence of the Valencian party in the parliamentary group in the Congress, which has demanded greater autonomy to prevent a split.
In this regard, a meeting of the parliamentary group’s leadership is planned for Tuesday, where solutions to this clash will be discussed, and various sectors of the minority partner are optimistic about maintaining unity.
Following the crisis sparked by the failure to register the request to summon the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, to the dana investigation committee, the national executive of Compromís decided to avoid a split and give Sumar a chance to remain in the group, but with a reevaluation of the joint pact.
The Valencian party agreed to this consensus position once Més, the majority faction where deputy Àgueda Micó is integrated, considered leaving the plurinational coalition to join the Mixed Group, while Iniciativa rejected this option and advocated staying in Sumar and strengthening alliances with the national left. Micó herself acknowledged that preserving the internal unity of the Valencian confluence, where several factions coexist, weighed heavily in this resolution.
Therefore, delegations from Més, led by Secretary-General Amparo Piquer, and from Iniciativa, led by Co-spokesperson Aitana Mas, traveled to Madrid on Wednesday and Thursday to meet with Sumar and allied parties.
Leaders such as Sumar’s General Coordinator Verónica Martínez Barbero, Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun, plurinational group spokesperson Verónica Martínez Barbero, and IU parliamentary spokesperson Enrique Santiago, among others, participated in these meetings.
According to Compromís sources, the negotiating phase was closed with these meetings, regardless of any ongoing contacts.
POSITIONS STATED, RESPONSE PENDING
For instance, Més sources explained to Europa Press that they are waiting for Sumar to respond to their requirements, which include the desire for freedom of vote, the ability to question the Government during Government control sessions, and the opportunity to negotiate bilaterally with parliamentary groups and the Executive. Some members of this party complained about the lack of clarity from Sumar in responding to their demands, although there were also voices hoping for a consensus to be reached.
On Iniciativa’s side, they hope for a consensus that allows the continuity of Sumar with the premise of being able to summon Sánchez in a second phase of the dana committee focused on reconstruction, something the parliamentary group is open to.
Therefore, the idea is for Compromís’ spokesperson in Congress to present their proposal for a new relationship with more autonomy during the Tuesday parliamentary group meeting, so that the various forces of the minority partner can deliberate on it and take a stance, considering that giving greater visibility to the different parts of the group is viewed favorably among the various formations.
AVOIDING FRACTURE, MAJORITY DESIRE
Various sources within the Sumar parties are optimistic and believe that ultimately Compromís will continue in the plurinational group. For example, they estimate that staying in Sumar allows for greater political relevance, even more so than in the Mixed Group.
They also believe that with the crisis at the government level involving the case of former PSOE Organization Secretary Santos Cerdán, it would not be a good idea to break away and move to the Mixed Group, as the priority for progressive forces should be to reinvigorate the Executive with advancements in anti-corruption and social initiatives.
Furthermore, several leaders believe that Compromís will once again weigh in on avoiding internal division, given the opposing positions between Més and Iniciativa.
On the other hand, the parliamentary group’s leadership reiterated that they had sent agreement proposals to Compromís over the past ten days and that freedom of vote is considered on a case-by-case basis, provided there is agreement within the parliamentary group.
They also noted that bilateral communication is a standard practice for MPs to engage with the Government, as it is normal for MPs to liaise with ministries on issues such as territorialized investments. One issue to clarify is whether the regulations need to be reformed to accommodate the requests of the Valencian party, something that did not overly concern the parliamentary group’s leadership.
