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El PP bloquea 'in extremis' cualquier acuerdo en la Conferencia de Presidentes · ELPAÍS.comThe PP blocks at the last minute any agreement by the Conference of [Spanish Autonomous Community] Presidents - ElPais.com
El Partido Popular ha bloqueado cualquier acuerdo de la Conferencia de Presidentes pese a que el Gobierno había elaborado un documento integrador que asumía nueve de los puntos del decálogo de economía del PP y siete del documento que ha elaborado sobre agricultura, ganadería y pesca. "Es lamentable que por un interés partidista no se tenga la visión de defensa del interés nacional", ha lamentado el presidente del Gobierno, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, en alusión al PP, cuyos presidentes autonómicos se han abstenido.[Spain's] People's Party has blocked any agreement by the Conference of Presidents despite the Government composing a document adopting nine of the items from the PP's economy decalog and seven from the document [the PP] elaborated on agriculture, husbandry and fisheries. "It is regrettable that because of partisan interest the vision of defending the national interest is lacking", lamented PM Zapatero referring to the PP, whose Autonomous [Community] Presidents abstained.

When the opposition believes they can profit from institutional paralysis, is there any point in seeking compromise positions? I guess Obama faces the same dilemma with the Republicans.

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Dec 14th, 2009 at 06:17:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The PR benefit? Does Zapatero have the authority and the votes to run over the PP?

As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Dec 14th, 2009 at 10:42:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]
This Conference of Presidents is not a constitutionally defined institution but an informal one. The goal is to reach political agreements. The PP doesn't like the conference and they think they benefit from government paralysis.

Una idea de Fraga de la que recela el PP · ELPAÍS.comAn idea of Fraga's that the PP is wary of - ElPais.com

Manuel Fraga being the Founder and Honorary President of the PP.

El 14 de junio de 2004, el entonces presidente de la Xunta de Galicia, Manuel Fraga, se presentó en el palacio de La Moncloa ... Además, la Xunta envió a Zapatero un dossier de más de 250 páginas sobre el "desarrollo institucional del Estado de las autonomías".On June 14, 2004, the then President of the Xunta [Council] of Galicia [Galicia's Autonomous government] appeared in the Moncloa Palace [the official residence of Spain's PM] ... In addition, the Xunta sent ZP a dossier of more than 250 pages about the "institutional development of the Autonomy State".

Autonomy State is Spain's doublespeak for Federal State in all but name.

The Xunta's dossier was substantially similar to the PSOE's electoral platform for the 2004 election.

Manuel Fraga recordaba en su dossier que lleva proponiendo la creación de este órgano desde 1994. Lo puso en marcha Zapatero en su primer año como presidente, aunque con algunas diferencias respecto a la idea original. Fraga proponía que fuera cada seis meses, que sus acuerdos fueran por unanimidad y que fueran vinculantes. Zapatero sólo se comprometió a que fuera anual, y ni siquiera pudo cumplir este calendario. Además, no estableció unas reglas de funcionamiento ni sobre la adopción de acuerdos. Las únicas normas que han tenido las tres conferencias celebradas han sido las de protocolo.Manuel Fraga recalled in his dossier that he had been proposing the creation of [the Conference of Presidents] since 1994. Zapatero got it going in his first year as PM, though with some differences with respect to the original idea. Fraga proposed to hold it every six months, with unanimous and binding agreements. Zapatero only committed to make it annual and wasn´t even able to keep that calendar. In addition, he didn't establish rules of procedure even on how to adopt agreements. The only rules of the previous three conferences have been about protocol.

This sounds strangely similar to the EU Council... Unanimity, little substance, protocol...

La primera reunión fue un éxito sólo por la foto histórica de todos los presidentes autonómicos juntos con el del Gobierno de España. Pero a partir de la segunda, el PP ha denostado una y otra vez esta cumbre, como si interpretara que un fracaso de cada reunión es un fracaso de Zapatero y, por tanto, una victoria del PP.The first meeting was a success only because of the historic photo of all Autonomous Presidents with that of the Spanish Government. But, from the second one, the PP has criticised the summit again and again, as if a failure of the meeting were a failure of ZP and, therefore, a victory for the PP.

Just imagine if the second largest party in the European Union were Eurosceptic and intent on making every European Council end in failure.

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Dec 15th, 2009 at 04:34:50 AM EST
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