The minister for Digital Transformation and Public Function, Óscar López, maintains that the "fruitful" relationship between PNV and PSOE has provided "political stability" both in Euskadi and in the rest of Spain. He also emphasizes that Spain "is capable of defending its borders with strict respect for the law and human rights" and guarantees that the Government "will restore normality to Ceuta."
In an interview published this Sunday by Diario Vasco, the minister reflects on the option of reissuing a progressive agreement in the next legislature after the elections, and stresses that PSOE is "expert in defeating the far-right and the polls."
In this context, he warns that "I believe there is a problem, and that is that the right has surrendered because it has bought the framework, the insults, the speeches, and the savagery of the far-right. Not only in Spain, in other countries as well. And Feijóo does not understand that every time he does not support something sensible from the Government, every time he confuses opposition with demolition, he is fattening Vox."
Regarding the continuity of the Executive in the current situation, he insists that "approving the Budgets is important" but recalls that "it should be noted that after the pandemic the president of the Government fought hard in Brussels to obtain European funds, and that has allowed us to inject tens of billions of euros into the Spanish economy." In that line, he stresses that "governing is not just about the Budgets. Do we want there to be Budgets? Yes. Is governing just about some Budgets? No."
When questioned about whether the words of the PNV spokesperson in Congress, Aitor Esteban, who suggested that perhaps "Morocco might have compromising information about Sánchez," have deteriorated the Government's ties with the jeltzales, the minister responds that "we must differentiate."
In this sense, he poses: "Has the relationship between PSOE and PNV served to provide stability to Spain and Euskadi? The answer is yes, without a doubt. Euskadi enjoys a political stability that has been good, and Spain has had eight years of progressive government thanks to the fact that this relationship has been fruitful."
For López, Aitor Esteban was wrong with those statements, "without any doubt." "Moreover, it doesn't fit with Mr. Esteban, who is generally a measured person, who weighs his words. Suddenly, entering into that conspiratorial narrative doesn't fit me. I think he was wrong and I am convinced that even he regrets what he said," he emphasizes.
Regarding the possibility of transferring to Euskadi the governance agreements that the Government maintains with EH Bildu in Madrid, he recalls that in the Basque Country "there have also been recently agreements between the PNV and Bildu."
In his opinion, "I believe we are in the ordinary democratic game and that this culture of agreement that exists in Euskadi is very positive. Many things separate us from Bildu, but we have shared certain social policies."
Ceuta and the management of the migration crisis
In relation to the situation in Ceuta, the minister rejects that the migration crisis will be "the last straw" for the president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, although he acknowledges that "it is an unprecedented crisis" and emphasizes that "the Government is focused on restoring normality in the city."
He stresses that "Spain is perfectly capable of defending its borders while strictly respecting the law and human rights. We are going to restore normality to Ceuta while complying with international legality, no matter how much Vox or Feijóo insist otherwise."
He details that, for Ceuta to "regain normality," the migrant people who have accessed the city "must return, always complying with the law." As an initial step, he explains that it is necessary to transfer those who remain on the beaches to "suitable facilities where the registration process can be carried out," an "indispensable step" to determine "whether they have the right to asylum or not."
Óscar López also criticizes the attitude of the opposition in this crisis. "I see the PP tearing their clothes every day over Ceuta, but I don't see them getting up in the morning thinking about what they can contribute," he states.
In the same vein, he maintains that he has not heard the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, ask "his autonomous communities" to host migrant minors, nor "support a single measure from the Government" or "offer a single legal proposal to resolve this." "I only see a campaign of harassment and demolition with xenophobic overtones that does not help Ceuta," he laments.
The minister admits that the Executive has "a problem in Ceuta" that is not solved "overnight" and against which he will not "disregard legality." "We will return to normality and, when this happens, let each one account to their conscience about who was up to the task and who was not," he warns, while criticizing that some accusations from the PP "border on coup attitudes."
Criticism of Isabel Díaz Ayuso
As the socialist candidate for the presidency of the Community of Madrid, López also attacks Isabel Díaz Ayuso, of whom he states that she "represents all that is worst in bad politics." "Hatred, insults, the breaking of any institutional relationship, something that is very contrary to Basque politics," he indicates.
He considers that the case of the penthouse is the "last straw." "It has been thought that the whole mountain is oregano. But it is not like that. He has decided to spend more than six million euros of the Madrilenians to live in a penthouse of 400 meters and 200 of terrace. And this is where we have arrived. This is not 'goodbye, fish,' this is that they have fished," he concludes.