Pro-independence ERC say they can 'force' referendum, in Catalonia

Catalan pro-independence party Esquerra Republicana (ERC) spokesperson in Congress, Gabriel Rufián, said his party now have the capacity to "force" Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez to organize a referendum in Catalonia "tomorrow."

Esquerra will back Pedro Sánchez's bid for prime minister in exchange for a controversial amnesty law for individuals involved in Catalonia's independence push over the past decade.   

Without the support of Catalan pro-independence parties, Pedro Sánchez would not have enough support to form a majority in Congress. If Sánchez succeeds, he will also need ERC and Junts' votes to pass laws throughout his four-year term. 

Gabriel Rufián made several demands to the Socialists in his speech at the end of the first day of Pedro Sánchez's investiture debate.  

Rufián demanded that the Socialists raise taxes on banks in the new legislature, force the church to take responsibility for cases of historical sexual abuse, distribute working hours better and increase wages, offer a dignified welcome to migrants arriving in Spain, and implement a more courageous foreign policy in reference to the conflict between Palestine and Israel. 

"We need to move toward a more courageous foreign policy and condemn Israel for state terrorism and call Netanyahu a war criminal, just as we do with Putin," he said. 

Rufián began listing the times that the PP has said that 'Spain is breaking up,' arguing that their position is not new and that they always resort to this argument when they don't get a victory.  

"The People's Party (PP) has been saying for 46 years that Spain is breaking up [...] but the reality is simply that they lost," he stated.

ERC's Congress leader also accused the PP of encouraging its member base to gather for violent protests outside the Socialist headquarters in Madrid, and of initiating a judicial war against the amnesty law. 

"The same thing always happens when the right loses: judicial war, fascists on the streets and lies on TV." 

A message to Junts 

Rufián has boasted of his party's deal with the Socialists and has told Junts that their agreement with Sánchez had already been achieved by ERC before. 

He defended ERC's policy of dialogue and negotiation with the Socialists over the last four years, which has been heavily criticized by Junts, who defended the confrontation with the State.  

Rufian has "welcomed" Junts to their policy and warned them that the Socialists will try to "trick" them. "ERC four years ago played a music that everyone today is dancing," he added. 

Investiture debates

The speech of Esquerra was one of the last on the first day of the debate.

Pedro Sánchez spoke for almost two hours, defending deals made with other political parties to get enough support to form a government.  

The leader of the People's Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, spoke at 3.30 pm, followed by the right-wing Vox and the left-wing Sumar. The other parliamentary groups will intervene on Thursday morning at 9 am.    

After the first round of speeches, the two-day debate will conclude with a vote in which Pedro Sánchez is expected to win an absolute majority with the support of 179 deputies in the 350-member chamber.