There are now less than 24 hours left for one of the most decisive Councils of Ministers of the legislature and the left is putting maximum pressure on the PSOE so that the royal decree law on housing measures does not remain a "patch." Empowered by the camping in Madrid's Puerta del Sol, promoted by the Tenants' Union, and with a very hot social climate and sensitized by the harshness of Maricarmen's eviction, Sumar and Pedro Sánchez's parliamentary partners play their cards to bend the arm of the socialist sector to assume more drastic measures in protection of evictions, rental contracts or regulation of tourist and seasonal apartments. The battle is being fought there.
Sumar, which is part of the Government, and Sánchez's main left-wing partners, such as ERC, EH Bildu, Podemos and BNG, have wanted to join forces and convey an image of unity with a joint press call. The objective is to drag the PSOE into a package of measures "against speculation" given the influence that Junts is having in the negotiations. And the Government is trapped by votes, on the left but also on the right. He needs the Catalan independentists, as well as the PNV, to validate the royal decree law that will be approved this Tuesday in Congress. But at the same time, the left is not interested in anything and demands that there be ambition and forceful measures.
The first to push is being the Sumar sector of the Government in a negotiation that is being led by Pablo Bustinduy's Ministry of Social Rights. His message is that the agreement with the PSOE is now "very far" from being produced.
Sources from the minority partner emphasize that the problem is concentrated in these points: "complete protection against evictions, seasonal and room regulation, extension of contracts, stopping fraud in tourist apartments, and renewal of contracts."
The sources consulted in Sumar warn that these elements are "central" to "tackle the housing crisis" and, therefore, they warn the PSOE that they are not going to allow them to "be diluted."
Sumar is summoned to the hours of work that remain throughout the day to move the PSOE to their positions and they play the card of standing. Both in the Council of Ministers and in a future vote in Congress. "We are not going to validate a text that does not live up to the moment demanded by citizens," say official sources, "the decree must listen to the clamor of the street."
Podemos, which is one of the actors in Congress that is most complicating negotiations for the Government and whose votes are decisive for validation, is entrenching itself in its top positions. The purple party warns the PSOE that the objective of the text has to be "to put an end to speculation" and pressures it to "not try to make a mess" of the parliamentary groups.
"If the Government intends to reach a minimum decree that does not stop speculation, it will make a mistake again," said Podemos spokesperson Pablo Fernández, who stressed that Sánchez has to approve a decree that addresses the housing problem and not one that "fixes the image" or "washes the face" of the Executive.
In this sense, Podemos stands up: the text cannot include, as was intended a few weeks ago, the Land Law, because it favors, it says, speculation. Furthermore, for the purple party, the way to ensure that the decree "is not a patch" is that it includes measures such as: "lowering by law" the price of rents, prohibiting the purchase of housing "that is not for living", the "expropriation" of vulture fund homes (which amounts to more than 650,000) and prohibiting evictions without a housing alternative.
For Podemos, the proposals that have been made known in recent hours by the Ministry of Housing are "completely insufficient" because they would not "end speculation" nor prevent housing from continuing to be a "business." Fernández explained at a press conference that his party is willing to "listen" but that the Government has to understand that it has to be "up to par" and what it is offering now is not in line with what they want.
