On a grim afternoon for socialist candidates, both the Popular Party (PP) and Sumar emerged victorious in two votes in the Congress of Deputies. Sumar presented the first initiative and the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) the second, highlighting the division within the Government and the similarity between the PNV proposals and one that was previously withdrawn by the socialists. The latter was rejected in May due to a lack of support, and the PSOE decided to vote against Sumar's proposal, arguing that it promotes real estate speculation and does not resolve housing issues in Spain.
In the plenary session of Congress, Sumar and the PP demonstrated unity in their voting, representing a setback for the PSOE, which faces an alternative majority formed by its main rivals. During this parliamentary session, a Sumar law to nationalize Sahrawis was considered, while the PNV's norm regarding land was rejected. The only member of the Government present in the vote was Yolanda Díaz, who defended Sumar's proposal despite it coming from her colleague in the Council of Ministers.
The issue of the Sahara has been recurrent in the confrontations between PSOE and Sumar, inherited from the conflict with Unidas Podemos. On this occasion, the Basque proposal was rejected, showing the distance between both parties on various issues. Although abstention was considered, the PSOE ultimately voted against it, while Sumar and the PP aligned in their decisions.
It remains to be seen how far the alliance between Sumar and the PP goes in future votes, such as the law to eliminate taxation on income for recipients of the minimum interprofessional wage. The Sahrawi deputy from Sumar, Tesh Sidi, received congratulations for the outcome of the vote.
