Catalan ERC party votes help ensure end of Rajoy presidency

“The ‘yes’ to Pedro Sánchez is a ‘no’ to Rajoy.” Thus the spokesman for the Catalan pro-independence ERC party in the Spanish parliament announced his party’s intention to support the no-confidence motion put forward by the Socialists against prime minister Mariano Rajoy. After gaining the backing of the two main Catalan pro-independence parties in the Congress, PDeCAT and ERC, as well as the Basque nationalists, the Socialist opposition headed by Pedro Sánchez now has enough support to oust Rajoy in Friday’s vote.

The ERC spokesman in Congress, Joan Tardà, announced his party’s support for the Socialist’s motion while also making it clear that they did not support their policies. Sánchez’s party not only supported the Rajoy government’s decision to dismiss the Catalan government and impose direct rule on the country, but the opposition leader has been a harsh critic of new Catalan president, Quim Torra. In fact, Tardà warned the Socialists not to try and “trick” Catalonia, which he said was suffering “too much pain,” in reference to the draconian measures taken against the country following the independence bid.