“Our route was route 179.” From minute one, the PSOE wanted to convince the Canarian Coalition to join the majority that controls the Congress tableand that elicited 178 votes in favor of Francina Armengol was appointed president. Two more than those who mark the absolute majority. The Socialists also tried to add the Canarian nationalist deputy, Cristina Valid. And now they will seek to support the investiture of Pedro Sánchez, even if the regionalists voted with the PP on Thursday.
In recent weeks, the socialist negotiators have contacted Fernando Clavijogeneral secretary of CC and president of Canary Islands. In addition to the acting Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, who led the PSOE negotiating team, the acting Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, was in charge of dialogue with the nationalists, who govern the islands in coalition with the PP .
Clavijo claimed a position in the Congress Table for the PNV, which in his opinion would serve to represent “the third Spain” that is not “blue or red” and to “break a tie” a Table that would have four members of the PP and four from PSOE and Sumar. But the PSOE was not convinced by that proposal. “We told them that we did not see that,” say sources familiar with the conversations.
«We made them a very specific offer, with Canarian themes. CC was offered a package of economic measures”, assuming “an important part of the Canarian agenda”, the sources detail. And that offer is now maintained, they explain, with the intention of continuing to negotiate and trying to get CC to move from the PP bloc to that of Sánchez. However, CC parliamentary sources assure that the offer “was insufficient”, and that “it did not even incorporate the commitment to comply with what is already in the Budget for this 2023.”
Clavijo has assured that he will support whoever signs “the Canarian agenda”, which goes through a series of measures. The main ones that the PSOE would be willing to agree to would be subsidizing salary increases that improve labor agreements, a pact for youth and promoting access to housing.