Puigdemont: stability pact with CUP is broken

BarcelonaOnly hours after learning of the CUP´s definitive "no" to the Generalitat´s 2016 budget, the Government and representatives of Junts pel Sí met on Wednesday morning before the parliament’s session in which the accounts proposed by the Catalan government would likely be rejected by the opposition groups. The meeting, which began at 9 am, was attended by the majority of the pro-independence coalition, which tried to soften up the anti-capitalists up to the last minute with offers designed to convince them to withdraw their amendment in full. The idea for this morning´s internal meeting was to "close ranks" around the accounts, according to ARA´s parliamentary sources. Carles Puigdemont, President of the Generalitat, insisted that the amendment to the entire bill is a "very serious" action, and warned of the consequences it will have for the entire independence process. He also viewed the stability pact as broken. "We must be aware that we do not have a parliamentary majority", insisted the President at the morning meeting. Puigdemont will make an appearance in Parliament during the afternoon to outline the next steps in the process. Indeed, it is expected that the debate over the law accompanying the budget —which was tabled to be held during today´s session— will be withdrawn. After the first scheduled vote, Puigdemont will ask to address the chamber.

According to sources privy to the gathering, the government explained the sixteen “formal meetings” that were held with the CUP to bring their positions on the budget closer together. The strategy of Junts pel Sí was to not seek out alternative partners so as to make it clear "who was stepping away from the process". Government sources said to ARA that "the process will not stop even if someone backs out". At the meeting it was also made clear that there will be social measures and items to do with the roadmap that will not be able to be implemented without a budget. "We made very clear all that cannot be done without a budget", administration sources added.

"Reconsider" the agreement

The scenario of a CUP veto was feared within Puigdemont’s administration, which had linked a good part of the increase in social programs and those destined to statehood structures with having a new budget passed. Once the full amendment proposed by anti-capitalists CUP moved forward, the message that came from the government was that it was necessary to "reconsider" the stability agreement signed last January 9th, which unblocked a hung parliament that appeared destined for failure.

The most probable course of action now will be for the government to extend the existing budges and begin to draft the 2017 budget. In fact, the message coming from the CUP is that they are completely willing to negotiate these accounts, and that the amendment to the totality of the budget should not be interpreted as any kind of veto.