The spokesperson for the Popular Party in the Senate, Alicia García, has urged the PSOE's parliamentary partners to "reflect" because, in her opinion, they are "supporting the most corrupt government" in Spanish democracy and their own voters feel "scandalized." In her opinion, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, should resign, dissolve Parliament, and call for new general elections.
In a press conference before the media in the Upper House, in which she detailed the parliamentary offensive that the PP is preparing in the Senate following the indictment of former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, García stressed that if Pedro Sánchez's "godfather" and "mentor" could have "led a criminal plot," it is because the current Executive "opened the doors wide open" to him.
"He opened the money box of all Spaniards to Zapatero and gave him a free hand for his businesses. That is why Sánchez appeared in Congress yesterday to defend the former President of the Government," said the popular leader.
"We are four votes short"
When asked if the PP is considering registering a motion of no confidence—as demanded by Vox—in the event of new judicial developments or an eventual conviction, García recalled that this is a "repeated" issue and insisted that her party does not have the numbers for such an initiative to succeed.
"It is true that we are not short of desire, we are short of votes, but it is also true that we are not going to give Sánchez a victory with a failed motion of no confidence because we are short of votes," emphasized the PP spokesperson in the Senate, later underlining that the Popular Party is "four votes short."
In her opinion, a head of government in Sánchez's current "circumstances" "should resign, dissolve Parliament" and "give the word to the Spanish people." "It seems to me that it is the most sensible thing to do," she stressed.
"Partial backtracking, no"
When subsequently asked if the PP is considering opening talks with the PNV or Junts to explore a possible motion of no confidence, García replied that "the reflection must be made by Sánchez's partners."
"I understand that they will be walking down the street and their voters, their supporters, will tell them what they are doing supporting a corrupt government, the most corrupt in democracy. I am convinced that this is happening," she assured.
Therefore, he has pointed out that it is the PSOE's allies who must "decide if they want to continue supporting a finished Government", "finished" and "surrounded by corruption" or if, on the contrary, they "want to distance themselves". "Well, partial backtracking, no. What is needed is for them to distance themselves and to think, to have a sincere reflection with themselves," he exclaimed.
Being "loyal" to what they defended in 2018
García has also argued that it is necessary to "be loyal" to what those same parties maintained when the motion of no confidence in 2018 was approved, which removed Mariano Rajoy from La Moncloa. He recalled that for "two years now", since the so-called 'Koldo case' broke out, those groups have been supporting "a government that is mired in corruption".
For that reason, he has insisted that they must be the ones to become aware of what is happening, with "indictments, schemes, and scandals", and to confirm that "the people are outraged". "And their voters, I am convinced, are too. A lot of talk, a little backtracking, but they remain where they were," he added.
After reiterating that, in his opinion, what Sánchez should do is "leave, out of decency", García has assured that Alberto Núñez Feijóo's PP is "prepared" and has an "alternative" to "champion a decent government".