"Sánchez's allies don't mind swallowing corruption."

Ester Muñoz (León, 1985) is the new spokesperson for the People's Party (PP) in Congress and will now be at the center of the main confrontations with the parties that support the government. With a mother from Barcelona and a reputation for tough politics, Muñoz asserts that what's best for the PP is to show the government that "it's facing an opposition that won't let anything pass."

The future of the Government "Sánchez needs the power to defend himself legally (...) and will extend his term."

Last week, it seemed like the Executive was in intensive care, but its allies gave it a break. Can the current situation continue much longer?

The situation of weakness has been this way since he was sworn in as president. There was a majority to make him president, but not to govern. Pedro Sánchez's problem isn't his partners, it's the UCO (Union of the Supreme Court) and the judges, who are harassing and uncovering the corruption of his government, his party, and his family. Sánchez is going to try to drag this out, because his interest isn't in governing or transforming Spain. His interest is in defending himself against corruption, and he believes it's easier to use all the means and institutions of the state.

Do you think it will last?

I'm of the opinion that it probably will. Sánchez needs the power to defend himself legally, and he'll extend his term.

Montoro Case "What needs to be investigated, let it be investigated. Zero tolerance for corruption."

Will the allies hold up?

The allies don't mind putting up with corruption as long as they get something in return. Well, I think the investiture allies are happy, because the weaker Sánchez is, the more corruption cases we learn about him, the more scandals come to light, the more they understand they can get rid of him. They're the ones most interested in him lasting, and the weaker, the better.

Do you think Sánchez will be able to push through the budget?

The president has been unable to approve a budget for two years, unable to present it, which is his constitutional obligation, because he knows it will be rejected and it could be a sign of weakness. This is extremely serious. This doesn't happen in any democracy. We've seen in other countries that when this happens, elections are called. The paradox is that the government's partners, instead of seeing weakness in the president and preferring a government that can legislate, that can reform Spain, prefer a weak government, where the more corruption emerges, the more they can extract, because the price of maintaining it keeps rising.

You've said that Sánchez will hold out to protect himself. Aznar suggested at the PP conference that he would end up in prison. Do you think that's going to be the case?

What he said is that Sánchez has lived surrounded by people who are in prison or could end up in prison, so no one should be surprised. We see how the government could end up, and everything points to it only getting worse. This would be unfeasible in any EU country. Spain's image is in tatters.

You also have corruption cases, Kitchen, Punica, Gürtel... and now Montoro. Do you think this will affect the PP?

Corruption affects, and it must affect; it's morally incomprehensible that it shouldn't. Now, many of the cases you're telling me about, which are being tried, involve people who are no longer part of the Popular Party or who are no longer in leadership positions. Unlike the PSOE, the PP's approach to corruption is clear and doesn't change regardless of who it affects. Whatever needs to be investigated, let it be investigated. Zero tolerance for corruption. You can't pretend that Feijóo's responsibility for what Montoro did almost a decade ago is the same as Sánchez's, who appointed those now under investigation and who had the imprisoned Santos Cerdán as his right-hand man. Feijóo hasn't had a single one of his advisors investigated during his administrations. And unlike others, you won't see me insulting judges or talking about pseudo-media. Nor will I say that Montoro's indictment is lawfare .

They have a very critical opposition to the government. Are they going to change their strategy, showing the Spanish people what they can offer as an alternative?

Look at how important we are to demonstrate our alternative, that we have passed 40 laws, showing the Spanish people what we would do if we were elected to power. We have passed these laws in the Senate, and some have been passed but are not being processed because Francina Armengol, who doesn't work for Parliament or for the Spanish people, but for Sánchez, has them blocked. Therefore, of course, we must be proactive, and we are showing the Spanish people our alternative.

Catalonia "Illa and Sánchez have set out to lead the independence process and have embraced pro-independence positions."

And in this line of being proactive, wouldn't it be appropriate to present a motion of censure?

Right now, we don't have the support. Therefore, presenting this motion of censure without passing it might seem like Sánchez has support that he doesn't have when it comes down to it, because he doesn't pass laws. He only has support to stay in power, not to govern. The People's Party (PP) isn't going to give Sánchez a lifeline.

What do you think of the agreement presented on Monday between the Government and the Generalitat regarding financing in Catalonia?

Catalonia needs better financing, like many other autonomous communities. The current financing system stems from the 2009 law, which Zapatero agreed upon with the tripartite coalition, independently of the rest of the autonomous communities, and it has been a disaster. Not even those who promoted it like it. Now those who created it are putting us on the back burner again, leaving the rest of us out of the loop and telling us: hey, if you want, you can join. It's a trap; they're trying to deceive the Catalans, because Catalonia's problem isn't one of financing, it's one of management. Its public services are managed by people who don't do it well. It's not that it doesn't receive resources; they do. It's that those resources are managed poorly. The dissolution of the common fund and a specific tax agency for Catalonia isn't just about managing taxes; what they want to do is create more state structures. That is the real reason for what Sánchez is negotiating.

Financing "Catalonia's problem isn't one of financing, it's one of management."

Your party has filed constitutional appeals against the amnesty. Isn't the situation in Catalonia better now?

I think Illa, but especially Sánchez, have set out to lead the independence process . They have embraced pro-independence positions in order to govern there. In order to be sworn in in 2023, without winning the elections, he agreed to an amnesty. There was no longer a need to forgive the crimes of the independence process ; instead, we Spaniards had to apologize to the coup plotters because they hadn't done anything wrong. And the next step is the referendum. Nothing has normalized in Catalonia. What has happened is that the PSC and Sánchez have become the leaders of the independence process. When someone blackmails you and you accept the blackmail, you are not helping things improve; no, you have simply accepted the blackmail.

The PP's approach to immigration has hardened following the Torre Pacheco riots. Are they trying to prevent votes from draining to Vox?

In Spain, we've been without immigration policies for two years, and what's happening in Spain is the responsibility of the government, which doesn't comply with immigration law. What's happening is the result of this irresponsibility, of not having Frontex, of not stopping mafias, and of allowing the pull effect of continuing to attract immigrants who take to the sea and die because of these mafias. We must comply with the law and work hand in hand with the EU. And regarding Torre Pacheco, there's nothing that justifies taking violence into its own hands, but it's an obligation to guarantee citizen security, and last weekend, the government derelict its duties.

You've said you won't govern with Vox. Don't you think they might think it's an electoral strategy and then govern together?

We don't want a coalition government. If there's no absolute majority, we aspire to govern alone with parliamentary agreements. And in those agreements, we have a red line: EH Bildu, and two limits: the Constitution and the law. We don't believe in a coalition government like the one we have now, in which there are ministers who lie to each other, who call each other liars in press conferences, who vote for different things.

To obtain this absolute majority, they need a strong result in Catalonia. How can they improve on these results?

It's clear that the Popular Party has evolved from having three representatives in the regional elections to 15, and we're improving. We have to be honest with the Catalans. There are people selling them the idea that, for example, with this secessionist quota, they'll live better. Catalonia has had bad managers.

Can you understand each other with Junts?

Within the law and within the Constitution, yes. We're winning motions presented by the PP with the votes of Vox and Junts at the same time, because they're aimed at improving the lives of Spaniards. Recently, Junts presented a proposal to lower taxes, and it was approved with the votes of Vox and the PP. Anything that improves the lives of Spaniards, Catalans, and the rest of the Spanish people, of course.