Frustration in Congress urging the Popular Party to hold a vote regarding the public appearance of Sánchez
Things Get heated at Congress as PP Clashes with Armengol Over Sanchez's Presence
In a tense turn of events at the Congress Plenary this week, the PP (People's Party) tried to push for the immediate appearance of Pedro Sanchez, the President of the Government, amid the 'Koldo case' implicating his number three, Santos Cerdán. However, the President of the Chamber, socialist Francina Armengol, turned down the request.
Earlier, the Government had proposed holding Sanchez's appearance on July 9, but both the PP and several of the Government's allies saw it as too late. They suggested moving the date up by modifying the order of the day for this week, but unanimity in the Speakers' Meeting was required for this change, which the PSOE denied.
In an attempt to bypass the Speakers' Meeting, the PP tried to make it a Congress Plenary issue at the start of the session this Tuesday, as PP spokesman, Miguel Tellado, requested. Waving his rules manual, Tellado formally requested the implementation of article 68 of the chamber's governing regulations, arguing that Sanchez had promised to appear immediately and this week was the perfect opportunity.
Armengol, however, rejected the claim, citing the lack of unanimity in the Speakers' Meeting as the reason for her decision. "This is the only possible way," she said, emphasizing that a vote cannot be passed during a Plenary to change the order of the day for the same Plenary, and this rule protects the rights of all deputies.
Verbal Fireworks
Despite Armengol's response, Tellado persisted and raised the tension further. Refusing to back down and speaking over Armengol's protests, Tellado commented, "Bad education is not my thing." Not until Armengol verbally reprimanded the PP spokesman did Tellado finally fall silent and take his seat.
As the PP continued to argue, the Congress moved on to a PP-proposed initiative against nuclear power plant closures. However, PP representative Juan Diego Requena continued the dispute, insisting on the vote in line with Tellado's lead earlier.
Criticism from the PP
Following the confrontation, sources from the PP accused Armengol of once again coming to the rescue of Pedro Sanchez, allegedly violating the Chamber's Regulations. They claimed Armengol had disregarded their request for the extraordinary session and acted as a "bought referee," disregarding the Regulations she should uphold first and foremost. Critics maintain that Armengol has been systematically aiding Sanchez and preventing him from addressing corruption allegations.
Sources:1. El Pais2. Europa Press
- The PP intensified their criticism towards Francina Armengol, accusing her of violating the Chamber's Regulations by allegedly acting as a "bought referee" and systematically aiding Pedro Sanchez, hindering him from addressing corruption allegations.
- Amidst the 'Koldo case', the ongoing dispute between the PP and Francina Armengol, concerning Pedro Sanchez's immediate appearance, expanded to policy-and-legislation, specifically nuclear power plant closures, highlighting the interconnectedness of politics and general-news.
