About time: the right can reach agreement too

I welcome the agreement between the People’s Party (PP) and Vox to coordinate their Senate candidacies. I say that plainly. It is about time the two main parties on the right were able to set aside some of their differences to pursue a shared goal. The left has spent years negotiating support and building majorities, and has no qualms about doing so.

The announced pact is limited to the Senate. It does not guarantee the premiership, since investiture depends on Congress, nor does it mean any election result can be taken for granted. But it matters politically: it shows a willingness to work together and sends a responsible message to those hoping for an alternative to Pedro Sánchez.

The 2023 election left a lesson worth remembering. The PP was the most-voted party and won 137 seats, compared with the PSOE’s 121. However, the PP and Vox together held 170 seats and failed to secure the support needed to elect Feijóo. Sánchez did secure a majority of 179 votes, with Sumar and the backing of ERC, Junts, EH Bildu, PNV, BNG and Coalición Canaria.

That investiture took place in accordance with the rules of our parliamentary system. For precisely that reason, the right should understand perfectly well that finishing first at the ballot box does not guarantee the chance to govern. You need to secure a sufficient majority. Election-night celebrations count for little if you cannot govern afterwards.

My opposition to Sánchez’s pacts is political and, in some cases, moral too. I find it unacceptable for Spain’s ability to govern to depend on separatist parties that seek to break up the country. And EH Bildu’s support provokes especially deep rejection in me: in my view, the memory of ETA’s victims demands a degree of sensitivity and responsibility that should never be subordinated to the convenience of an investiture.

The PSOE accepted that price to remain in government. I consider it too high. However important the differences between the PP and Vox may be, they should be open to negotiation if both share the intention of bringing about a change of government and offering Spain a common programme.

I find it hard to understand the double standards often applied to these agreements. The left’s negotiations are presented as dialogue, pluralism or an ability to build consensus. When the right tries to reach an understanding, alarm bells immediately ring. I believe agreements should be judged by their content, their terms and their consequences. Those who sign them must also be held accountable.

That is why I welcome this step, although I expect much more. I want public agreements, specific commitments and the ability to deliver on them. An understanding that improves public administration, provides stability and addresses people’s concerns: housing, security, public services and opportunities for those who work and run a business.

The PP and Vox retain their differences, and every voter will freely decide whom to support. Their leaders have a duty to explain what they can do together and where their commitments end. That clarity is also part of respecting voters.

After what happened in 2023, it would be difficult to justify allowing rivalry between the two parties to outweigh the task of building a viable alternative. I welcome their decision to set out on this path in the Senate. If they aspire to govern together, they must first show they can work together.