Esquerra and Bildu pave the way to process the Budgets with their abstention

The first step for the approval of the General State Budgets is already taken. Congress approved on Thursday the limit of non-financial expenditure for 2020, that is, the deficit target of the Administrations, which stands at 1.8% of gross domestic product (GDP) and includes the stability objective for the period 2020 to 2023. The abstention of ERC has been fundamental so that there were more votes in favor than against. 168 yeses, compared to 150 noes and 19 abstentions. At least a dozen parliamentarians from the right bank have not come to vote.

Republicans have warned that their abstention is not to favor the state accounts but "to give a chance" to the negotiating table that began yesterday between the Government of Spain and the Government of the Generalitat. Junts per Catalunya has not given its arm to twist and has voted against. In his opinion, there is still no reason to favor the Government of Pedro Sánchez.

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• The dialogue between the Government and the Generalitat meets an atmosphere of normalcy
• Sánchez warns that the dialogue table on Catalonia will be “difficult, long and complex”

The vote on the stability objectives has garnered more support than those obtained in the investiture session for the presidency of the Government two months ago, which came forward with only 167 yeses. This guarantee has been the first test of the Executive of Sanchez towards his priority objective of having some Budgets that replace those that the Government of the PP elaborated and that go by the second extension. The affirmative vote of the deputies of the PSOE and United We joined the deputy of the Canary Coalition, Ana Oramas, and the PRC Cantabrian parliamentarian, José María Mazón, who in January opposed the investiture of Sanchez. Pedro Quevedo, from Nueva Canarias, supported the vote, just as Teruel's deputy exists, Tomás Guitarte.

The arguments of the Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, only convinced those convinced, either because of the need for an update of the accounts for the central, regional or local Administration, or, as in the case of the independence of ERC, to give the Government a margin of confidence in the dialogue about the crisis in Catalonia. "If they vote no, then do not do demagogy against that Government on the grounds that it has no sensitivity to the needs of the autonomous communities," said the minister. Support for the deficit path updates non-contributory pensions and extends paternity leave, among many other measures.

The arguments against the PP, expressed by its economic spokesman, Elvira Rodríguez, are based on the disbelief of that formation with respect to all the forecasts of the Government, especially those referring to income and deficit. Nor is there anything positive in the Government's plans according to the economic spokesman for Citizens, Marcos de Quinto and Vox, Inés Cañizares. These parliamentarians assume that Brussels will not accept Spain's accounts as unlikely. The CUP also joined the noes. Among the abstentions was Bildu, whose attitude reinforced the voting going forward. For the abertzale spokesman, Oskar Matute, the accounts sent by Brussels are not adequate but the States can take advantage of the margin that exists to modify them, even slightly. For example, with the tax increase.

Junts per Catalunya, who voted no, and ERC, who abstained, linked the meaning of their vote to the negotiating table on Catalonia. Once the plenary session is over, the popular president, Pablo Casado, in a very serious tone, announced Pedro Sánchez’s petition to explain “the concessions he has made to the independentists in exchange for the Budgets.” The president of the Government, on Twitter, thanked the favorable votes and said that with this path you can start the momentum of the economy "and advance social justice."