Iran: Spanish PM heads to Congress on 25 March, hopefully with parliamentary support for his measures
Pedro Sánchez is delegating the round of party talks to senior minister Bolaños, while Vox is distancing itself from engaging in such talks, despite being included, and the PP's attendance also remains in doubt
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will finally appear before the Congress of Deputies on 25 March to outline the Spanish government's position on the conflict in the Middle East, three weeks after the US-Israeli attack on Tehran. He will do so after participating next week in the European Council, where EU leaders will also discuss the implications of the war in Iran for international security and stability.
His Congress appearance will also happen after initiating a series of meetings with all parliamentary groups and social partners to develop a set of measures to deal with the consequences of the escalating conflict and mitigate its effects. Those effects are already beginning to be felt in the domestic economy with price rises in food and fuel.
The PM has delegated these talks to Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, who will contact all parliamentary representatives, including the Vox representative, in the coming days.
Negotiations with employers and trade unions will be conducted through the three deputy PMs and Minister for the Economy, Carlos Cuerpo.
"We have already prioritised the interests of the public in other conflicts, such as the one in Ukraine, and we will do so again because we are prepared," stated spokesperson Elma Sáiz at the press conference following a meeting of the council of senior ministers in Madrid, where she avoided specifying what options the government is considering.
This time, the government has included Santiago Abascal's party (Vox) in its planned meetings because, they claim, they are seeking "unanimity" in support for the package of measures they are working on, which they frame within a "strategic response plan" similar to the one activated after the war in Ukraine.
This decision has surprised many, given that the far right was not consulted when the response to the Russian invasion was planned. At Moncloa Palace, they are trying to downplay the situation, pointing out that Vox is "always" presented with all initiatives at parliamentary level, insisting that it has been Abascal's party that has so far declined to participate in other similar meetings.
They also argue that the PM pulled Abascal from the meetings he had planned with the parties on Ukraine - later cancelled due to the Adamuz rail tragedy - because it was impossible to share a strategic position with a party that "is aligned with Viktor Orbán". Vox has already announced that it will not attend Bolaños' meeting.
A "propaganda stunt"
The presence of the People's Party (PP) is also up in the air. Its spokesperson in Congress, Ester Muñoz, stated that they have not yet received any information and will therefore wait to hear of the "framework" in which these new talks are planned before making a move. "We'll see what it entails", she said, warning of the possibility that it could be "yet another propaganda stunt" by the Prime Minister that, if so, "we'll be taking no part in it".
The national leadership for the PP attributes these talks to the fact that "the 'No to war' campaign hasn't worked for [the government] to divert attention and they need photos for Instagram".
The PP launched its own "emergency plan" on Monday to address rising prices due to the crisis in Tehran, attempting to seize the initiative. This move has drawn criticism from the government and the PSOE socialist party, given the PP's recent vote against the social safety net, which extended protective measures to counter the consequences of the war in Ukraine. "It's a farce", declared socialist spokesperson, Montse Mínguez, yesterday.
At Moncloa Palace, it remains unclear whether it will be PM Sánchez who unveils the initiatives during his address on the 25th.
Government sources stress that everything must be carefully analysed and assessed to ensure that the implemented measures are the "most effective" and to "avoid the criticisms" of 2022 regarding the actions taken during the inflationary crisis stemming from the conflict on Ukrainian soil. "All measures", they insist, "are on the table".
They also made it clear that they will not submit the new decree on Iran to Congress without securing a parliamentary majority, following the setback to the social safety net.
Although the Spanish government has pledged to re-approve that safety net, it has not yet decided whether to implement it in conjunction with the new package of measures on Iran or to outline the measures in a separate decree.
