Alberto Núñez Feijóo, PP leader, urged Junts and other government allies on Saturday to allow early general elections via an instrumental motion of censure. The Catalan independence party led by Carles Puigdemont rejected the proposal and demanded apologies from the PP for its treatment of Catalan businesspeople. This comes amid corruption scandals surrounding Pedro Sánchez's executive.
The Popular Party leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, continued his offensive against the coalition government on Saturday during an event in Burgos with PP mayors. After asking the Catalan business association Foment del Treball on Friday to pressure Junts to support an instrumental motion of censure, Feijóo directly appealed to Carles Puigdemont's party and other investiture allies like ERC. "The government allies have become accomplices to corruption in our country", he stated. He added: "Vasco and Catalan friends, when they say the coalition's seams are breaking... if you stand for decency, let elections be called in Spain".
Feijóo stressed he does not seek to become president through a motion but elected at the ballot box: "I don't want to be president of the Government, what I want is for Spaniards to elect me at the polls, not through any motion, but through the ballot box". This call comes two days after the imprisonment of José Luis Ábalos and Koldo García in a corruption case.
Junts responded harshly at its National Council. Secretary general Jordi Turull criticized Feijóo: "He has the audacity to come to Catalonia to ask businesspeople for help. He shouldn't ask businesspeople for help, but forgiveness, for the systematic mistreatment they suffered during the years they were in government". Turull listed grievances such as boycotts of Catalan products, lack of investment, and facilitating socialist mayoralties in Barcelona. The party, which broke its pact with the PSOE at the end of October, stays out of blocs and positions itself as an alternative to Salvador Illa's government, rejecting pressures for a motion.
The PP is preparing a rally for Sunday in Madrid under the slogan "Indeed, mafia or democracy?", calling citizens to protest against corruption. Feijóo concluded: "Tomorrow we meet to demand democracy, to demand ballot boxes and decency".