The PDeCAT tries to resurrect from irrelevance by valuing its role in the validation of the labor reform

In this scenario, the PDeCAT, a formation closely linked to the Catalan business community and bourgeoisie, is now trying to rise from political irrelevance in Catalonia by trying to become a new partner in the coalition government. The party headed in Congress by Ferrán Bel seeks state projection by taking advantage of the “variable geometry” strategy claimed by the President of the Executive, Pedro Sánchez, and which consists of seeking agreements with formations that are not its usual parliamentary allies – ERC, PNV , EH Bildu, Compromís or Más País, among others – depending on their needs to carry out initiatives in the Lower House.

The most recent example of the use of this “variable geometry”, highly questioned by United We Can, the minority party in the Government, occurred in the approval of the labor reform, on February 3. Given the refusal of the usual partners to endorse the text agreed between the Executive, the unions and the businessmen, Moncloa obtained the support of other formations such as Ciudadanos, the PDeCAT or UPN, although finally the two parliamentarians of this last Navarrese party ignored the guidelines of their party leadership and voted ‘no’.

The new labor framework, the first to recover workers’ rights, finally went ahead thanks to the fact that a PP deputy, Alberto Casero, made a mistake in the telematic vote and voted in favor, which has generated an unprecedented political mess, with the threat of PP and Vox to take the matter to court and with harsh accusations of “ribbling” against the president of Congress, Meritxell Batet, for not allowing her to correct that error, as established by the regulations. But the votes of the party of Inés Arrimadas and those of the PDeCAT were also decisive, without whose support the norm would not have seen the green light.

Against the “irresponsibility” of ERC and PNV

The Catalan nationalist formation tries to value that support for one of the most important laws of the legislature to try to recover the lost importance on the political board. In this strategy, last Tuesday Ferrán Bel was one of the only two spokespersons – the other was Jaume Asens, from United We Can – who summoned the press in Congress, which this week reduced its activity to a minimum before the elections in Castilla y Sunday lion.

In his appearance, the PDeCAT spokesman criticized the “irresponsibility and tacticism” of the political formations that, such as the ERC or the PNV, although they voted against the labor reform, contacted his party “with concern” to find out if their four deputies would approve the reform. new norm. Bel recalled, thus, that when on the 3rd the president of Congress mistakenly announced the repeal of the Royal Decree-Law, “except PP and Vox, the rest of the political parties that voted were not as perplexed” as those who voted yes and attributed it to the fact that “everyone was aware of what it meant to drop the labor reform agreed between employers and unions.”

In line with the Government, Bel described as “unbecoming of a party that intends to govern” the behavior of the PP with its attacks on Batet as a result of the error of its deputy and pointed out that the only thing that the formation of Pablo Casado seeks is “to defeat the Government at any price, even if it means sinking the labor reform or paralyzing the arrival of European funds.” “When you vote, you cannot rectify, be it online or in person,” the PDeCAT spokesman told the popular to make it clear that this is the criterion that generally governs Congress.

The main message that Bel wanted to convey, however, was to the Government, showing the willingness of his group to support Sánchez to try to differentiate himself from other Catalan nationalist formations. The PDeCAT spokesman wants the Executive to be “more receptive” from now on with the reflections put forward by other parties other than those that make up the so-called investiture bloc. And he pointed out that this alternative block that was inaugurated with the vote on the labor reform in future laws “could surely” be repeated. In the specific case of his party, Bel wanted to make it clear that he will always act based on the content of each initiative and not on who approves it.

Possible government support for the memory law

The PDeCAT is willing to “collaborate” on the Democratic Memory Law project, which is “somewhat stuck” due to discrepancies both within the Government and with parties such as ERC, and in which Bel sees “more difficult” understanding with other formations that supported the investiture of Pedro Sánchez. Bel, in fact, revealed that he has been talking to the government “for months” about this new regulation, even before the Council of Ministers approved the bill.

This state projection contrasts with the situation that the party is experiencing in Catalonia. In the elections just a year ago, the PDeCAT candidacy led by Àngels Chacón came within 10,000 votes of entering Parliament, but the result was a failure for a party that needed a parliamentary presence to survive. What he kept under his orbit was, in addition to his four deputies in Madrid, several mayors of medium-sized cities who maintained fidelity to the project, such as the first mayor of Reus, Carles Pellicer, that of Igualada, Marc Castells, or that of Mollerussa (Lleida ), Marc Solsona. Other mayors retain the brand but have approached Junts in recent times.

The moment of truth comes now, when Junts has launched a primary regulation that is a true takeover bid for the mayors, councilors and municipal groups of the PDeCAT, since it allows them to be candidates of the Carles Puigdemont formation without even being members of the party . In this way and with the gradual turn to the right in recent months, Junts hopes to deal the final blow to the party that he considers a failed split.

Meanwhile, in the PDeCAT they have launched in recent months an adventure that tries to defragment the space of the old Convergència, a center-right Catalanism that could bring together pro-independence and non-pro-independence supporters. With these signs of identity, Àngels Chacón presented the Centrem brand in January, where PDeCAT itself and other small groups such as Convergents, Lliga or Lliures will be integrated. The new formation, which presents itself as “the first post-procés party” is led by Chacón herself after she abandoned the reins of the PDeCAT, and plans to present herself to the next municipal elections in various cities, including Barcelona.