Catalonia News Headlines for December 2019

ERC Hold the Keys to the Investiture

La Vanguardia Cover for Wednesday December 4th 2019

The lead up to Christmas is bound to be dominated by PSOE's Pedro Sánchez attempting to get himself invested as President of the Spanish Government. He's got the support of Podemos and some smaller parties but he will also need at least an abstention from ERC, who will demand plenty in return regarding their calls for Catalan self-determination.

• Sunday December 1st: Worry in PSOE over delay in negotiations with ERC Worry in PSOE over the delay in the negotiations with ERC as the socialists extend conversations to JxCat, while the PP calls for an end to the "table of shame".
  
• Monday December 2nd: The World faces moment of truth at climate summit The world faces the moment of truth at the climate summit as Madrid has worked against the clock to receive the 29,000 participants at the COP25 conference from today.
• Tuesday December 3rd: Europe assumes leadership against the climate crisis Europe assumes leadership against the climate crisis as Brussels opens the conference in Madrid with announcements of investment on a "green deal".
  
• Wednesday December 4th: Vox enters in the Mesa del Congreso in a turbulent session Vox enters in the Mesa del Congreso in a turbulent session and the Chamber's bureau will have a left-wing majority but fails in the attempt to exclude the far right.
• Thursday December 5th: NATO summit deepens divisions between the allies The NATO summit deepens the divisions between the allies as the Alliance situates Russia and China as potential threats, but the US, Turkey and Europe barely manage to hide the disagreements.
  
• Friday December 6th: King activates express consultations to designate Sánchez The King activates express consultations to designate Sánchez as the Government avoids new appeals to the Constitutional Court that would interfere with the negotiation for the investiture with ERC at a meeting on Tuesday.
  
• Saturday December 7th: Batet argues Constitution should be "inclusive" Batet argues that the Constitution should be inclusive as on the 41st anniversary of the Magna Carta, the President of Congress from PSC asks that text serve for "cohesion".
• Sunday December 8th: PSOE & ERC profile clear proposal for negotiation table PSOE and ERC profile a clear proposal for a negotiation table as the Republicans are favourable towards an express investiture for Sánchez if he gives the definitive push next Tuesday.
  
• Monday December 9th: Casado's move closer to Cs tenses relations with Vox  Casado decides to move closer to Cs and tenses relations with Vox as the PP considers that Abascal's party doesn't have margin to break the territorial agreements.
  
• Tuesday December 10th: Russia expelled from world sport for systemic doping Russia is expelled from international sport due to systemic doping as the World Anti-Doping Agency bans the Russians from competing for the next 4 years, including the Olympic Games.
  
• Wednesday December 11th: PSOE & ERC get stuck on format of negotiating table PSOE and ERC get stuck on the format of the negotiating table as the third public meeting between socialists and republicans in Barcelona lowers the expectations although negotiations continue.
  
• Thursday December 12th: Sánchez to call Torra & autonomic leaders before investiture Sánchez will call Torra and the autonomic leaders before the investiture as the president accepts the King's assignment and expresses thanks to ERC for their attitude in the negotiation without setting a window for the agreement.
• Saturday December 14th: Johnson's victory clears Brexit but opens Scottish front Johnson's victory clears Brexit but opens another front in Scotland as the Scottish nationalists, opposed to the exit from the EU, ask for a second independence referendum that the premier rejects.
• Sunday December 15th: "Negotiating table must find solutions for prisoners" Interview with Pere Aragonés, vice president of the Catalan and national coordinator for ERC, who says "The negotiating table must find solutions for the prisoners" and confirms his contacts with Sánchez saying "If he wants to pact with ERC, we have to talk".
• Monday December 16th: Disappointment over lack of agreements at climate summit Disappointment over lack of agreements at the climate summit as the scientific clamour and the NGOs are left without an answer from governments that leave the carbon markets without regulation but countries only promise more ambitious state plans to reduce gases in 2020.
  
• Tuesday December 17th: Catalan government agrees tax increase with Comuns The Catalan government agrees a tax increase with the Comuns as the agreement foresees an increase in Succession and Income Tax for earnings over 90,000 euros in addition to an environmental duty.
• Wednesday December 18th: Sánchez offers giving answer to "political crisis" to Torra Sánchez offers to give an answer to the "political crisis" to Torra as the PSOE leader transmits to the president by telephone that his objective is "to reduce territorial tension and restart the dialogue".
  
• Thursday December 19th: Tsunami causes clashes without affecting El Clásico Tsunami's protest causes clashes without affecting El Clásico as the throwing of inflatable balls barely interrupted the game while outside the stadium radicals burn containers.
  
• Friday December 20th: Europe corrects Spain on Junqueras & gives Puigdemont wings Europe corrects the Supreme Court over Junqueras and gives wings to Puigdemont as the ruling leaves the final decision to the Supreme Court, which is inclined to leave the politician in prison and ERC freezes the dialogue with PSOE until the State Lawyer's takes a position.
• Saturday December 21st: Puigdemont gets acreditation as an MEP Puigdemont gets acreditation as an MEP as the ex-president and Comin will debut in the plenary of January 13th and have already asked to join the Greens group.
  
• Sunday December 22nd: ERC considers Sánchez' investiture viable for Jan 5 ERC considers Sánchez' investiture viable for January 5th as the Republicans hope that the State Lawyers support the Court of Justice of the European Union on Junqueras to facilitate the formation of a government.
  
• Monday December 23rd: Spain thinks EU Court doesn't oblige them to free Junqueras The Supreme Court thinks the European Court doesn't oblige them to free Junqueras as the judges are considering whether to allow the ERC leader to collect his certificate from the Electoral Junta and then later appeal to the European Parliament.
• Tuesday December 24th: ERC says "details" remain to facilitate investiture ERC admits only a few "details" remain to facilitate the investiture as the State Lawyers will inform the Supreme Court in favour of Junqueras collecting his MEP documentation from the JEC.
• Wednesday December 25th: King defends State solidity & calls for understanding The King defends the solidity of the State and calls for understanding as Felipe VI, who sees the situation in Catalonia with "serious worry", calls for self-esteem in difficult times.
  
• Friday December 27th: ERC's reticence delays investiture at least till Kings ERC's reticence delays the investiture at least till Kings as PSOE's strategy of retaining the State Lawyer's report until the Republicans say Yes to the negotiating table.
• Saturday December 28th: Govt delays rise in pensions & min wage until pact The Government delays the rise in pensions and the minimum wage until there's a pact as the measures are pending the negotiation between PSOE and ERC, who had a meeting in Madrid yesterday.
• Sunday December 29th: PSOE & UP finalise programme with social-feminist accent PSOE and UP finalise a programme with a social and feminist accent as the new government, if the investiture is unblocked, wants to urgently abolish articles on the labour reform and the "gagging law".
• Monday December 30th: Investiture pact just needs ERC's ratification The investiture pact just needs ERC's ratificationn as the Republicans will discuss the agreement in their executive today after knowing the State Lawyer's terms on Junqueras.
  
• Tuesday December 31st: Sánchez shows Iglesias pact to smooth investiture Sánchez shows his pact with Iglesias and smooths the investiture as an agreement with UP foresees an increase in taxes on high earners and a partial abolition of the labour reform.
  

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