A new political battle has erupted in the Spanish parliament: the Junts party has once again opposed an initiative related to combating corruption. This time, the target was a proposal to create an independent anti-corruption body, championed by Yolanda Díaz. Just six days ago, the same party blocked the reduction of the workweek to 37.5 hours—a key point in Díaz’s agenda as labor minister.
Junts’ seven votes proved decisive: together with support from PP and Vox, they ensured Sumar’s bill was defeated at the very outset. As a result, debate will not continue and the proposal to set up a new agency to investigate corruption cases and receive complaints has been shelved. For Díaz, this marks another setback for a major initiative she had promoted to distance herself from scandals within PSOE.
The deputy prime minister had been calling for the creation of an anti-corruption body for over a year, repeatedly raising the issue with Pedro Sánchez. After the high-profile Santos Cerdán case, the prime minister agreed to include this measure in the anti-corruption package. However, following the vote, it is now clear: the proposal will not even receive formal consideration.
The situation escalated after a recent conflict between Díaz and Junts, which arose during discussions over reducing the workweek. At that time, the vice president sharply criticized the Catalan party, accusing them of defending the interests of the most conservative business representatives. This provoked irritation within Junts and concern among the Socialists, since Catalan support is critical for the coalition’s stability.
Now Junts has refused to support another initiative by Díaz. The anti-corruption agency project, which was intended to be independent and conduct investigations, did not satisfy the Catalans. They fear that the new body would duplicate the already existing anti-corruption structure in Catalonia and lead to unnecessary centralization. Additionally, Junts has expressed concerns about potential politicization of the new agency, believing it could become a tool for advancing the interests of individual parties rather than a real mechanism for fighting corruption.
During the discussion, Junts representatives called the Sumar initiative nothing more than another “whim” and emphasized that they see no point in creating yet another entity to oversee existing Catalan bodies. As a result, the failed vote sent another signal to PSOE: Junts’ support in parliament remains highly unstable, and Díaz’s role as a mediator between the Socialists and Catalans is increasingly being questioned.
Although Díaz had previously emphasized her close ties with Carles Puigdemont, Junts conducted key negotiations on major issues such as amnesty and the status of the Catalan language in Europe directly with PSOE representatives. This further highlights the complexity of the coalition’s internal dynamics and points to potential challenges in implementing future reforms.
