Pedro Sánchez has been dragged into making political decisions as head of government that he surely would never have adopted with an absolute majority. He has made concessions to nationalist parties and also to Podemos and Sumar. The PP is going down the same path in its relationship with Vox. It already did so during the period when they governed different autonomous communities and it seems that it will repeat it now that it has closed pacts in Aragon and Extremadura. The big difference between Sánchez’s partners and Alberto Núñez Feijóo’s is that the parties of the progressive majority do not aspire to replace the leader and occupy his space. They are interested in getting the maximum benefit from negotiations without causing his downfall. In this sense, for example, the attitude of Junts is inconsistent, as it threatens throughout the legislature to break with the socialists –even now it talks about bringing forward elections–, but does not dare to take the step of supporting a motion of no confidence with the PP and Vox.
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On the other hand, the big problem for the popular party is that their travel companions from Vox do indeed hope to displace the PP to one day become the great right-wing party in Spain. Núñez Feijóo explained this very well in the last interview he gave to La Vanguardia last March, when he admitted that there was an “implicit or explicit” pincer movement between the PSOE and Vox and, to exemplify it, he said that Santiago Abascal dedicated as much time to criticizing him as he did to Sánchez.
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In conclusion, the PP leader knows that he is condemned to come to an understanding with a party that hopes to grow at his expense. For this reason, any agreements they may reach are a minefield. The inclusion in the Extremadura agreement of the controversial “national priority” clause, by which Spanish citizens will have preferential treatment to receive aid and public services over immigrants, is the best example. Vox tries to push the PP to its most extremist positions, as two of its leaders explain today in a conversation with our newspaper. But they not only impose their doctrine, but also generate tension in the ranks of the PP –the president of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has already criticized this measure–. The PP must tread carefully.
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