El Gobierno salva el decreto sobre aranceles con Junts, la abstención de Podemos y el rechazo del PP | España | EL PAÍS

Government Saves Tariff Decree

The Spanish government successfully passed a decree on tariffs designed to counter the trade war initiated by the Trump administration. The passage was achieved through a narrow majority, relying on support from Junts, an abstention from Podemos, and opposition from the PP.

Key Players and Their Positions

• Junts: Initially maintained suspense, ultimately voting in favor after negotiations with the government.
• Podemos: Abstained, criticizing the measures as insufficient and demanding stronger action, including expropriations.
• PP: Rejected the decree, proposing an alternative economic and energy plan.

The decree, worth €14.1 billion, aims to mitigate the impact of tariffs on sectors like wine, oil, and automotive, and leverage the crisis for economic modernization. The government highlighted the decree's ambitious goals and broad consultations.

Negotiations and Outcomes

Negotiations were complex, with initial bipartisan talks failing due to Junts' demand for 25% of funds to be allocated to Catalan businesses. The PP's initial willingness to cooperate dissipated, citing the government's refusal to incorporate their proposed alternatives. The PP's ultimate rejection was influenced by the 28 April power outage and unrelated policy issues.

Parliamentary Vote

The final vote resulted in 176 votes in favor, 169 against, and 4 abstentions. The government emphasized its overall success in parliamentary votes this week.

Vox's Position

Vox openly opposed the decree, boasting about its president's personal communication with Trump.