Sánchez seeks to appease his allies, who are already questioning the viability of the mandate.

With no certainty about when, how, and where the next mine will explode on this tortuous path—and, above all, who will step on it and who could be blown up—Pedro Sánchez gritted his teeth yesterday as he faced his appearance at the control session in Congress, under fire from the PP and Vox, but also from partners and allies who are already doubting the viability of the legislature.

Following the row in Congress, and following the meetings of the previous days with Yolanda Díaz (Sumar) and Jordi Turull and Miriam Nogueras (Junts), the president yesterday received Gabriel Rufián (ERC), Mertxe Aizpurua and Gorka Elejabarrieta (EH Bildu), Maribel Vaquero (PNV), and Cristina Valido (Coalición Canaria) at the Moncloa Palace. Sánchez expressed his willingness to listen to their contributions in an attempt to "regain the lost trust of the public" in the face of the devastating corruption case that now encircles the PSOE and keeps his mandate in jeopardy.

"Yes, we have a parliamentary majority," they nevertheless defend in the Moncloa Palace, where they claim to "understand the irritation" of their partners. And, despite the public gestures of their allies, they warn that they have "one narrative behind closed doors and another behind closed doors." "The partners will hold out," they are confident. Although they don't know what new bombs will explode. "Everything will depend on what comes out," they admit. "But they are just as annoyed as we are," they emphasize.

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"More things will surely come out; it's a weakness we have to learn to live with. But we won't give up; it's worth holding on. It's torture, but if we give in, we'd be giving in to the PP's strategy to bring down the government," they conclude at the Moncloa Palace.

The discontent among the allies was epitomized by Gabriel Rufián. More than anyone else. The ERC leader in Madrid left yesterday's plenary session of Congress half an hour before the scheduled meeting with Sánchez at the Moncloa Palace. He did so by heading to his office, annoyed by the president's vehemence in responding to him in the chamber, and admitting that he had to consider whether the interview was worthwhile given what had happened.

Despite the "irritation" of the members, the Moncloa maintains that "we still have a parliamentary majority."

Rufián had just had a bitter face-to-face conversation with Sánchez, criticizing Sánchez for trying, in his opinion, to make people believe he learned "the day before yesterday" of the possible illegal actions of the two former PSOE organizational secretaries, José Luis Ábalos and Santos Cerdán. He also demanded that he "swear and perjure" that this plot is not "the PSOE's Gürtel" and that there will be no "P. Sánchez on paper" because the "left cannot steal." Sánchez's response was harsh because, in his opinion, Rufián made "the anecdote into a category."

But Rufián ended up going to the Moncloa Palace. He stayed for barely half an hour. And, refusing to allow an official photo of the meeting to be taken, he returned to Congress, sad and hesitant. "I've seen him upset," he admitted, before suggesting that his term might not last until 2027: "We have to take advantage of the time he has left to try to leave people with the best possible decent life." (...) "I don't know what's going to happen, but when the corrupt premiums come in, we'll all go to hell," he added.

In any case, the ERC leader in Congress asserted that he extracted from Sánchez his commitment "to go after the corruptors, that is, the construction companies." This, he explained, would entail changes to the Penal Code regarding sanctions and fines. But above all, in the meeting held at the Moncloa Palace, the Republican challenged the Prime Minister to advance the social agenda, "and this implies housing, housing, and housing."

EH Bildu took over from ERC by meeting with Sánchez, to whom they expressed the need to "act decisively." According to their parliamentary spokesperson, Mertxe Aizpurua, "we must seize this moment of crisis as a strategic opportunity to launch a process of democratic reform."

The PNV (Basque Nationalist Party) also declined to be photographed. In their case, this was to "not distract from the spotlight." Their spokesperson, Maribel Vaquero, demanded that Sánchez "set an example" in his decision-making against corrupt officials and corruptors, but limited herself to demanding compliance with the investiture agreement signed in 2023. "We are not going to bargain or ask for any extras," she stated, distancing herself from the strategies of other partners.

The Republican is expressing his allies' displeasure by suggesting that the legislature may not last until 2027.

Cristina Valido, a deputy from the Canary Islands Coalition, closed the third day of the round of contacts—from which Podemos and the BNG have withdrawn for the time being—by warning Sánchez that her support is not guaranteed, emphasizing that his governability is "highly questionable."