The Plenary of Congress, with the support of PP, Vox, and Junts, has demanded that the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, submit to a vote of confidence and assume his political responsibilities by resigning due to the corruption cases under investigation.
The initiative comes from the motion registered by the PP on the political situation generated by the judicial investigations into cases affecting the PSOE. The vote took place a day after Sánchez's appearance on Wednesday, in which he insisted on his willingness to complete the legislature. "How are we not going to continue?" he affirmed in the chamber.
Following the refusal of PSOE and Sumar for the Plenary of Congress to rule on the request for an early general election, the text that finally reached the plenary hall was put to a vote broken down by sections.
Absolute majority for the vote of confidence
In a first point, it was approved, with the favorable vote of PP, Vox, Junts, UPN, and CC, to urge Sánchez "to consider the opportunity to propose a vote of confidence, in accordance with the prerogative conferred upon him by the Constitution, taking into account the political nature, without legal binding of the present initiative." These are the same terms as the proposal registered by Junts in February of last year, which already passed the filter of the Congress Bureau.
The vote resulted in 178 votes in favor, above the absolute majority of the Chamber, against 171 votes against from PSOE, Sumar, and the rest of their parliamentary allies.
In a second section, and with the votes of PP, Vox, Junts, and UPN, it was approved that "the accumulation of investigations into corruption cases involving political officials directly appointed and supported by President Pedro Sánchez demands that his assumption of responsibilities occur in the form of resignation." At this point, CC opted for abstention.
Furthermore, a third point was approved, which the PP used to criticize the decision of PSOE and Sumar in the Congress Bureau to prevent the Plenary from voting on the two amendments that PP and Junts registered a week ago to a motion by the 'populars', with which both intended to incorporate the demand for calling general elections.
Criticism of the Congress Bureau
Specifically, and thanks to the abstention of Junts and Podemos, Congress proclaims "its freedom to exercise its constitutional legislative, government oversight, and political guidance functions without further censorship than the rigorous and non-arbitrary application of the constitutional order" and, consequently, condemns "the will to veto, both by the Government and by certain political groups, the debate of certain initiatives or amendments."
On this third point, PP, Vox, UPN, and CC did not reach an absolute majority, but they did exceed the 166 votes gathered by the PSOE and its partners.
What the Congress Bureau vetoed, and why it was not put to a vote this Thursday, was the PP's proposal for the Chamber to express "its majority desire for general elections to be called as soon as possible," and to demand the "immediate block resignation of the Government" and the calling of elections. PSOE and Sumar maintain that the calling of elections is an exclusive competence of the President of the Executive and that, therefore, it cannot be submitted to the decision of the Legislative.