Congress Bureau postpones Junts' confidence motion of PM Sánchez

The Bureau of the Spanish Congress agreed on Tuesday to postpone the decision on whether or not to process the non-legislative proposal (PNL) of Junts that calls on Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez to submit to a question of confidence.

The Bureau considered a report from Congress lawyers that leaves open the possibility to processing the Junts initiative, but the report also allows for the Bureau to reject the demand.

According to sources, the majority formed by Socialist Party and Sumar members has chosen to study the question in January, arguing there is no rush and that, to the extent that it will create a precedent, the question must be resolved with legal certainty.

The Bureau's decision takes pressure off the Spanish government as the Socialist led executive looks to find resolutions to various points of negotiation with Junts and other investiture partners in the coming weeks and months.

Among the priorities to find agreements on are the transfer of the management of immigration powers, fiscal deficits, and the 2025 Spanish budget.

After last week's demand from Carles Puigdemont, leader of the Catalan pro-independence party Junts, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez insisted that the executive intends to comply with all agreements, but rejected submitting himself to a motion of confidence. Sánchez also left the door open to a face-to-face meeting with Puigdemont.

Socialist and Sumar members of the Congress Bureau hold an absolute majority and made the decision to postpone Junts' initiative, despite conservative PP members voting to process it. 

The progressive majority pointed to the fact that the lawyers' report specifies that the processing of a non-law proposal that demands a question of confidence can generate precedents, and it is better to adopt a decision more calmly.

The issue, therefore, will be debated in a future Bureau meeting, which will not happen until January.

In the event that the initiative is processed, it would not reach the Congress plenary until February or March.