Spanish PM Sánchez seeks to unlock stalled agreements with Junts via new decree law

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced a package of measures aimed at breaking the current deadlock with Catalan pro-independence party Junts per Catalunya.

The cabinet will approve a decree law containing several measures agreed with Junts that are still pending implementation, including changes to local government financing, support for landlords facing rental arrears, and tax deadline extensions related to business invoicing and digitalisation.

The decree law allows the government to enact measures immediately, without prior parliamentary approval, though they must be ratified by Congress later.

Sánchez's parliamentary majority is fragile, with the Socialist–Sumar coalition dependent on several other parties, including Junts. The arithmetic has become even more complicated since last week, following the jailing of former minister and sitting MP José Luis Ábalos, who had continued voting with his former government colleagues.

Broken relationship

In an interview with Catalan radio station RAC1, Sánchez acknowledged that dialogue with Carles Puigdemont's party is currently "broken," but said the Spanish government is "very clear" about its duty to honour the commitments it made.

"I accept the shortcomings and delays that Junts have criticised," Sánchez said, insisting he still aims to see out the current parliamentary term and pass a new budget.

"I don't deny the seriousness of the crisis we're in with Junts," the PM said, after Puigdemont's party broke ties with the Spanish government over unmet commitments.

"I've always said our hand is extended, that our willingness to negotiate is unequivocal and that we will fulfil the agreements we signed with Junts," Sánchez added. 

In recent days, the conservative People's Party (PP) has tried to court Junts – without success – to back a possible no-confidence motion in the Spanish PM.

Sánchez-Puigdemont meeting

Asked whether he would hold an in-person meeting or phone call with Junts' leader Puigdemont – who remains living in exile in Belgium since the 2017 independence push – Sánchez said that "we're not at that stage right now."

"We're at a point where talks are broken off," he noted, adding that no such meeting had yet been requested. Sánchez said he would have "no problem" with a face-to-face meeting with Puigdemont, as it would be consistent with his strategy of "normalising" the situation in Catalonia and recognising the leaders who left during the independence push.