Junts sets conditions for post-election support

Junts will demand that Pedro Sánchez step down as candidate for prime minister if the PSOE seeks its support in the upcoming government formation talks after the 29 November general elections. The Catalan party also insists on a fiscal agreement, similar to the Basque Country's economic concordat, as a precondition for backing any investiture, its Madrid spokesperson Miriam Nogueras stated on Tuesday 27 October 2026. "Sánchez had his chance and it's clear he let it slip away," Nogueras said at a press conference. "At some point, the PSOE will have to decide if Pedro Sánchez is more important than the party, than reaching consensus and moving forward."

"Starmer way" proposed for Spanish politics

Nogueras invoked what the party has called the "Starmer way", referring to Keir Starmer's succession in the UK Labour Party, as a model for Spanish politics. She argued that Sánchez stepping aside could benefit both the PSOE and national stability. "Stepping aside is sometimes something that ends up benefiting everyone. It has worked out well enough for them in the United Kingdom," she said, reiterating a position first made public by former party leader Carles Puigdemont in July 2023.

No support for PP-Vox coalition

While Junts ruled out supporting a right-wing coalition led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo that includes Vox, it has now clarified that it would be open to supporting a socialist-led government, provided Sánchez is not the candidate. The party maintains it will play a decisive role if election results mirror the 2023 scenario, when its votes were pivotal in government formation. "The votes of Junts will serve to defend the citizens of Catalonia," Nogueras said, adding that fiscal fairness and Catalan interests would be central to any negotiation.

Fiscal agreement remains key demand

Junts reiterated its call for an economic concordat, a fiscal arrangement already referenced in the 2023 investiture agreement signed in Brussels. Nogueras noted that during the current legislative term, "they parked Catalonia aside and stopped passing laws." She pointed out that previous red lines, such as allowing Catalan in Congress or passing the amnesty law, were once considered impossible but were eventually achieved. "They already said no to speaking Catalan in Congress or to the amnesty, but then things happened," she said.

"The PSOE must decide whether Pedro Sánchez is more important than the party,"

Nogueras added, underscoring that the party's priority is ensuring Catalonia's interests are central in national negotiations, regardless of which bloc ends up in power. The party's stance marks a strategic shift from its initial pre-campaign statement ruling out support for both Sánchez and Feijóo, now qualified by the possibility of backing a new PSOE candidate.

Sources: La Vanguardia, Ara.