The president of the People's Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has redoubled pressure this Thursday on PNV and Junts to remove Pedro Sánchez from La Moncloa in the face of the Executive's "entrenchment" and the head of government's refusal to call early general elections. In his opinion, it is "the hour of truth," thus reopening the debate on a possible motion of no confidence.
"I am conveying that if what they say is really what they are willing to do, let's do it," he stated, warning that, if not, they cannot continue "fooling people," who "do not deserve trickster politicians who say one thing and do the opposite."
In a press conference in Brussels, before attending the EPP meeting prior to the European Council, Feijóo revealed that several European leaders have called him to request "an explanation and a description of the summaries that are piling up in the Supreme Court, the National Court" and other judicial bodies.
"I want to tell them that I am ashamed to explain that my country is today the country in the European Union with the most corruption cases in the entire Union," he pointed out, emphasizing that, despite the Executive's "refrain" accusing him of speaking "ill of Spain in Europe," in his opinion, it is the government itself that does so with its corruption cases and scandals.
After reiterating that Pedro Sánchez and former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero are the ones who "have most deteriorated Spain's image in Europe," he insisted that the current Executive is "the one that has Europe astonished." "What tarnishes Spain is what the government does, not what the opposition leader unfortunately has to describe," he added.
"People do not deserve trickster politicians"
When asked if he maintains contact with Sánchez's parliamentary partners to gauge a possible motion of no confidence, Feijóo replied: "I have real-time contacts at this moment with all political forces. And I am conveying that if what they say is really what they are willing to do, let's do it."
The leader of the PP defended that the "only solution" to Pedro Sánchez's "entrenchment" and his refusal to call elections is to "remove the government to choose another" that will call them.
"From the PNV to Vox, passing through Junts and the PP, we have expressed the need to immediately call general elections. That adds up to 184 deputies. The number of deputies needed to obtain this support is 176. Let's do it. And if not, let's not keep fooling people, man," he stressed, emphasizing that "people do not deserve trickster politicians who say one thing and do the opposite."
Asked again if contacts have already begun or will be intensified to materialize that motion, Feijóo reiterated his call to the groups "in real time" and warned that, if they do not act now in the face of the corruption situation that, according to him, surrounds the Executive, "in what scenario should they do it."
"Can there be any more serious scenario than this? We are very clear about it and we don't want to lie to anyone. Lately, there are some political parties that are talking about this matter and are even presenting some initiative in Congress," he said, referring to Junts' amendment that demands general elections be called now. In his opinion, now it's time to check if these initiatives "ultimately remain an attempt" or "on the contrary, are serious and respect the voters they represent."
The Budgets, "a smokescreen to cover up the sewer case"
When asked about the possibility of an early election if the State General Budgets announced by Sánchez fail, Feijóo recalled that the Government has spent practically the entire legislature without even registering new accounts and criticized that it promises them again "in the throes of the legislature." "It's the same thing they said in '24, in '25, and in '23. No, the Government has no credibility," he concluded.
Along these lines, he maintained that this "new narrative of presenting Budgets is simply a smokescreen to cover up the sewer case," the investigation affecting former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero or "the set of summaries that are piling up in Spanish courts."
After stressing that the Executive "does not have enough support" to pass the accounts, he recalled that the PSOE's partners have already warned that "they will withdraw their support if they do not approve the budget." "I am very surprised by this waste of time and this lack of respect for the intelligence of Spaniards," he said.
Feijóo has added that, listening to the different parliamentary groups, it is verified that "the Government does not have support to approve the General State Budgets". "Therefore, what is this about other groups saying that if the budget is not approved, elections must be called?", he has asked himself.
According to Feijóo, "it is the hour of truth". "It is the hour of those who are in favor of a Government devastated by corruption cases, without a parliamentary majority, without accounts, without budgets and without regulatory capacity and those of us who are in favor of a decent Spain. And there it is necessary to clarify and to position oneself. My position has been very clear from the beginning, from the first moment", he has highlighted.
In this context, he has reiterated that he defends "an urgent call for elections" because, in his opinion, it is necessary to "remove" and "displace this Government" so that another Executive "calls elections immediately". "This is the proposal that has been put on the table by my party and by myself through different interventions in Congress and now also here", he has pointed out, alluding again to the possibility of a motion of no confidence.
A coalition government with Vox?
Asked if his words opening the door to a coalition government with Vox represent a shift from his initial stance, the president of the PP has responded that the first thing is to "let people vote" and that it is up to the electorate to decide at the polls what they consider "appropriate" and "who they believe represents them best?".
In this regard, he has stressed that he aspires to be "the alternative to Sánchez's Government" and to achieve a "very solid" representation that allows him to "have a strong government that depends exclusively on the ballot boxes".
"If when the ballot boxes are opened the mandate of the Spaniards varies my proposal in part, what I will do is assume the mandate of the Spaniards and give stability to the governance of Spain. It is essential. We have been four years without stability", he has affirmed, insisting that Spain "cannot continue like this".