Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday unveiled a new set of initiatives designed to unblock negotiations with the Catalan pro-independence party Junts per Catalunya (JxCat).
The coalition government plans to push through a decree law containing a series of commitments already agreed with JxCat but still awaiting implementation. Among them are reforms to local government financing, measures to aid landlords dealing with unpaid rent, and extensions to tax filing deadlines linked to business invoicing and digital transformation.
Because these measures are being introduced via decree law, they will take effect immediately, though they must later be validated by Spain’s Congress.
Sánchez’s governing alliance — the PSOE–Sumar partnership — depends on several smaller parties for support, including JxCat. That reliance has become even more precarious after last week’s arrest of former minister and current MP José Luis Ábalos, who had continued to vote as an independent MP with the government despite breaking ranks politically. ALSO READ: Spain’s former transport minister detained without bail in corruption investigation.
Speaking to Catalan broadcaster RAC1, Sánchez admitted that communication with the exiled Carles Puigdemont’s JxCat party is currently ‘broken’, while stressing that his government remains ‘very clear’ about the commitments it made. ALSO READ: Catalan pro-independence party JxCat to veto all Spanish government-proposed laws in Congress
‘I accept the shortcomings and delays that Junts have criticised,’ Sánchez said, reaffirming that he intends to complete the parliamentary term and secure approval for a new national budget. ALSO READ: Spanish Congress rejects coalition government’s 2026 spending plan.
‘I don’t deny the seriousness of the crisis we’re in with Junts,’ he continued, following the party’s decision to suspend its relations with the Spanish government over unmet pledges.
‘I’ve always said our hand is extended, that our willingness to negotiate is unequivocal and that we will fulfil the agreements we signed with Junts,’ the prime minister added.
Meanwhile, the right-wing People’s Party (PP) has made unsuccessful overtures to JxCat in recent days, sounding them out about backing a potential no-confidence vote against Sánchez.
Asked whether he would meet or speak directly with Puigdemont — who has been based in Belgium since the 2017 independence referendum — Sánchez replied that ‘we’re not at that stage right now’. ALSO READ: EU’s top court adviser says the controversial Catalan amnesty law complies with EU legislation.
‘We’re at a point where talks are broken off,’ he said, noting that no such meeting has been requested. He added that he would have ‘no problem’ with meeting Puigdemont in person, describing it as consistent with his approach to ‘normalising’ the situation in Catalonia and acknowledging the leaders who fled Spain during the independence crisis. ALSO READ: Controversial Catalan amnesty law gets final approval in Spanish Congress.
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🗣️ Pedro Sánchez anuncia a @elmonarac1 un decret amb mesures per refer ponts amb Junts: “Assumeixo els endarreriments, però complirem” https://t.co/9qAprD3aXd
— RAC1 (@rac1) December 2, 2025
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