Junts demands Spanish PM undergo vote of confidence in Congress

Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has announced that his party, Junts per Catalunya, has registered an initiative in the Spanish Congress to ask Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to undergo a vote of confidence. 

The head of Junts made the announcement during a press conference in Brussels, where he convened top party officials to assess the first year of their agreement with Pedro Sánchez's Socialist Party.

After criticizing the "scant progress" on the commitments made, the former Catalan president announced that the party has submitted a non-binding resolution to prompt the Spanish Congress to take a position.

Only Sánchez himself can choose to submit himself to such a vote, but the move is aimed at putting pressure on the ruling Socialists.

Puigdemont criticized failures to deliver on promises regarding the amnesty law and the recognition of Catalan as an official language in the EU.

Spanish government rejects Puigdemont's call

The Spanish government has rejected the possibility of Pedro Sánchez submitting to a confidence vote, as demanded by Puigdemont.

A government source expressed "calm" and emphasized that "it is the president's prerogative" to hold such a vote and that "there is no intention or need" to do so.

The executive "will continue to work, as it always does, with the various parliamentary groups, to carry out measures that benefit the entire population," the source said.

"We have done this over the last year and the results are evident: we are the economic engine of Europe, we have more people working than ever and inequality has been reduced. This is our path and we will continue along it."

Sánchez's party, the Socialists, also sent "a message of calm and tranquility" after the announcement from Junts.

Spokesperson Esther Peña said that it was exclusively up to the head of the Spanish government to submit to a confidence motion.