Sumar has finally avoided an open collision with the PSOE by last-minute modifying the direction of its vote on the 'lobbies' decree law. The formation has decided to support its validation, instead of opposing it as initially planned, after the commitment of the Minister of Digital Transition, Óscar López, to promote another decree in October that better details the implications that its registration as interest groups would have for the unions.
Despite the change in position, the parliamentary group did not vote as a bloc. Deputies Gerardo Pisarello (Comuns), Vicenç Vidal (Més), and Agustín Santos abstained, while the deputy spokesperson, Aina Vidal, maintained her vote against as she had previously cast it electronically, without the possibility of rectifying after the last-minute turn, according to parliamentary sources. The second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, did not participate in the vote as she did not attend the Plenary session this Wednesday.
In any case, Sumar's change of criteria did not alter the outcome, given that the Plenary of Congress has rejected the norm with the opposition of Vox, Junts, PP, and UPN, while formations like PNV and Podemos opted for abstention.
At noon, sources from the plurinational group had already anticipated that, after an internal debate, their position would be to vote against the decree coming from the Council of Ministers, as a way to express their displeasure with the socialist wing for the lack of negotiation in the drafting of the text. Sumar warned that unions were being equated with pressure groups, despite the minister insisting that their status as social agents would not be affected.
Subsequently, the Minister of Digital Transformation and Public Function has committed to presenting before October a new decree to specify how their consideration as 'lobbies' would impact unions and employers, guaranteeing that this classification will not apply to the tasks of social dialogue, following the complaints from Sumar, its parliamentary partners, and the social agents themselves.
In parallel, the parliamentary spokesperson for IU, Enrique Santiago, pointed out that his group would only consider modifying its position if the PSOE "corrected its mistake" and assumed commitments to legally safeguard the social status of the unions, which he considered fundamental institutions in the restoration of democracy after the Franco dictatorship.
For its part, the co-spokesperson of the Comuns, Gerardo Pisarello, reproached that the PSOE was already arriving "late" in its rectification regarding this lobby decree and showed his incomprehension towards the decisions that the socialists are adopting in housing matters, in the face of the crisis in Ceuta or with the expansion of the El Prat airport.
The new movement of the PSOE has reopened the internal debate within the Sumar group and, shortly after the voting began, the majority position has been set in support of the decree. From the formation, they emphasize that they clearly defend greater transparency regarding the activity of lobbies, but insist that unions cannot be treated as a pressure group.
Week marked by tensions between partners
With this outcome, both partners of the Government avoid a new frontal clash in a week in which they had already distanced themselves on Tuesday, when the PSOE abstained in the Sumar bill to veto the purchase of homes by vulture funds.
Furthermore, their differences have become evident in the expansion of the El Prat airport, as the Sumar ministers rejected the Airport Regulation Document (DORA III), a plan approved this Tuesday in the Council of Ministers and which they have labeled as "absurd" for compromising investments without guarantees and for promoting "more emissions and more tourist pressure."
The frictions between the two wings of the Executive have been repeated during the legislature, especially in housing and economic policy matters, and have translated into differentiated votes in Congress. However, on this occasion, they have chosen to reduce tension and jointly support a regulatory text coming from the Council of Ministers.