The Government has been “optimistic” regarding the symbolic vote that will be recorded this Friday in Congress on the two decrees related to housing in the midst of social tension due to the eviction of Maricarmen. Official sources from the Executive have noted, in that sense and to justify this hopeful vision, that “the social context” would not allow a negative vote from any left-wing partner and that none of their allies have expressly advanced their rejection. Podemos, which is once again one of the most critical parties, has even assumed that they will prosper, although implicitly alluding to support from Junts that could allow them to abstain. Junts has not anticipated its vote, but they are “concerned and disappointed” with the lack of rigor of the decrees. Sumar, ERC, EH Bildu and BNG express their disaffection with their short scope, but point out that it could be “a starting point” to convince Podemos. Despite everything, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has been optimistic: "Allow me to put myself in the best scenario before that vote comes. And I already tell you that I am reasonably optimistic about the validation."
In a press conference after meeting with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, Sánchez once again put the focus on the PP's rejection of the decrees: "I have heard the PP say that I am a traitor in this too. I don't know very well what it means to be a traitor, to whom? To the vulture funds that speculate in housing? Well yes, I like to be a traitor to those types of interests."
In the Executive and the PSOE they continue to cling to the “click” that they believe has caused the case of the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal to argue that in theory no party should oppose this Friday, in the extraordinary plenary session convened in Congress, to support the validation of the two decrees approved on Tuesday by the Council of Ministers and that are being published in stages in the BOE with all their development. The Ministry of Housing and La Moncloa justify this publication in parts on technical and legal reasons and assure that the two texts are complementary, that they are full of measures on which they had been working for months without much echo and they note that the impact of the Maricarmen case has allowed them to accelerate many reforms and improvements that will benefit millions of Spaniards.
These reasons lead the coalition government to conclude that the decrees should prosper and focus not so much on the votes of the partners that they still lack but on the need to portray the PP and Vox, which have already anticipated their rejection, with the argument that millions of owners or tenants who will benefit from the decrees could vote for these right-wing formations. The Minister of Housing, Isabel Rodríguez, used these appeals in several interventions on housing in Congress, as did other ministers, and spokespersons for Sumar, such as Verónica Martínez Barbero.
Neither the Minister of Housing nor those responsible for Sumar, who have also been involved in the in extremis negotiations now with their investiture partners, could assure that the decrees will go ahead, but nor that they will be stopped by the Chamber. The Executive joins this uncertain scenario again to point out that anything can happen, although most sources in Congress are in favor of the fact that the first decree, which prohibits evictions, extends the extension of rents until 2030 and limits the purchase of residential properties by the so-called vulture funds and other entities dedicated to the acquisition of real estate assets, will be validated, and the second, which establishes the automatic extension of contracts, will decline. for rent.
The first to take this scenario for granted was the general secretary and spokesperson for Podemos, Ione Belarra, early on Cadena SER, when she pointed out that the first decree “presumably will be approved” due to the supposed support of Junts and its possible abstention, and concluded that the second and more radical decree would be defeated. Later, when asked specifically in Congress about her vote on Friday, she refused to clarify it and sources from the party stated that they first want to hold a meeting this Thursday with the Tenants' Union to find out their position.
Junts also does not anticipate the meaning of their vote and, to know their position, we must evaluate the negative statements of their spokesperson in the chamber, Míriam Nogueras, that they are “concerned and disappointed” and then other factors. Catalan educational sources have regretted that the Government has given them little time to polish the texts, pass it through their legal filters and be able to correct more things. They believe that this procedure is not serious and lacks rigor to analyze details in the 200 pages of the decrees and they do not decipher their vote: "They think that we are going to vote yes because if not it falls and we have to think about the people." But on this occasion they have not slammed the door, like other times.
The Minister of Housing could not have been more diplomatic this Wednesday with the contributions in recent months from Junts' spokesperson on this matter, Marta Madrenas, in an interpellation, although she also exercised that same disposition with the representatives of ERC, Podemos, PNV or Sumar.
What most of these left-wing partners did take advantage of in these hours prior to the debate was, in addition to questioning the PP and its voters, to pressure Podemos directly or indirectly by pointing out that, although the two decrees do not contain all their demands, they are at least a possibility to start with. "We are never going to put our political calculation before the needs of the people. We have made an effort to bring positions closer together. Our objective is to offer real solutions to the housing emergency," said EH Bildu deputy, Óskar Matute, in a press conference in Congress. Compromís spokesperson, Alberto Ibáñez, elaborated on this idea: "They are a starting point, not an arrival point. The important thing is that the street cannot wait any longer."
The federal coordinator of Izquierda Unida, Antonio Maíllo, has criticized Podemos for its lack of definition: “I am a little fed up with leftism that has not suffered this situation and teaches others a lesson about how they have to behave when they are threatened by rents that they cannot pay or evictions that are threatened,” he said in the Andalusian Parliament, reports Lourdes Lucio. Maíllo, of course, has indicated that in the end Podemos will support them because “an abstention would not be understood” and because he understands that aspects as relevant as preventing evictions, postponing and extending rental contracts for two more years, establishing an automatic renewal of rental contracts and regulating seasonal apartments and rooms cannot be described as “betrayal”.
From ERC, its leader, Oriol Junqueras, anticipated his positive vote despite carrying the decrees separately and his spokesperson in Congress, Gabriel Rufián, asked for more time to read them in detail.
