Fernando Clavijo: "Sánchez must submit to a vote of confidence."

Fernando Clavijo Batlle (San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Tenerife, 1971) is President of the Canary Islands Government and Secretary General of Coalición Canaria. The Canarian autonomists, who are also known as nationalists (depending on the height of the tide), have only one representative in Congress, whose vote swings between the government majority and the opposition. They voted for Pedro Sánchez's investiture and months later opposed the Amnesty Law. Coalición Canaria does not hold the key to the legislature, but it does hold a valuable key in a time of very tight arithmetic. In this interview with La Vanguardia , Clavijo asks that the President of the Government submit to a vote of confidence.

The scope We are not only facing a crisis within the PSOE, it is also a crisis that affects the Government.

Your diagnosis of the situation?

We are experiencing a period of political deterioration. We are facing a crisis affecting the government. Right now, the Socialist Party is in a state of complete flight. And the Popular Party has just held a congress that failed to produce a government proposal that could be interpreted as such. The meeting of the PSOE Federal Committee seems to me to have served no purpose. The PP congress supported its leader, but did not present a true program. In short: zero initiatives.

President Sánchez will appear before Congress next Wednesday.

The question is this: Does the Government have the necessary support to govern, approve a budget, and address the main problems facing citizens? Today, there is only one way to answer that question: a vote of confidence. Pedro Sánchez should submit to a vote of confidence. That is the proposal the Canary Islands Coalition will present next Wednesday in the Congress of Deputies.

What would the Canary Islands Coalition vote be?

The president must explain how he intends to continue governing. Our vote would depend on the horizon he outlines, his plans, and his commitments. Look, the current situation is not limited to a party crisis; it is also a government crisis, and as such, it must be resolved.

Read also

Could the presentation and approval of the 2026 budget be understood as a vote of confidence?

No. The question of trust is whether the Congress that inaugurated you ratifies its support in a crisis situation. We believe that trust has been broken, and we must see if it can be repaired. The courts will have to determine whether this is a case of irregular enrichment by individuals who held significant responsibilities, or whether there are indications of illegal financing by the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party). But it's clear that the Prime Minister made a mistake by giving them important responsibilities. This won't be resolved with a reform of the PSOE's code of ethics and a few changes in the Organization Secretariat. This matter affects the Government, and it has taken too long to bring it before Parliament.

Exactly, what are they asking of the Government?

We are practically halfway through the legislative term. We demand a roadmap detailing how the legislative term will end, with what objectives and what budget. If it is not possible to set these objectives, we must give the people their say. What does the president want to do from now on? This is the question we want to answer on July 9th. The impression cannot spread in society that those in power are more focused on ensuring their personal survival than on solving the problems of the Spanish people. It makes no sense that the last budget approved is for 2022.

If Alberto Núñez Feijóo presented a motion of censure, would you vote in favor?

We're going to wait until the 9th. We have a legislative agreement with the PSOE, and we want to wait. We want to hear from the president next Wednesday in Congress.

The Canary Islands Coalition maintains a friendly relationship with the Basque Nationalist Party. Two years ago, you proposed in an interview with La Vanguardia that the PNV should preside over Congress. Have you discussed the issue of trust with the PNV leaders?

I've spoken these days with Lehendakari Imanol Pradales and the president of the PNV, Aitor Esteban. We speak frequently. Both parties have a relationship of trust for many years. We've shared alliances in the European elections. We trust each other, but we're two distinct political parties. I think we share the same concern today. The argument that the current government is a bulwark against the far right isn't enough. Are we telling the public, "Look, I'm not going to let you speak because what you're going to decide is almost certainly a mistake?" Is that what we want to tell the public? I don't find that acceptable. If the people want the right to come, then it will have to come.

Aren't you concerned about the rise of the far right in Spain and in almost all European countries?

Of course I'm worried! I'm worried that Vox wants to turn the Canary Islands into Spain's great prison. That's what they're trying to do: to keep immigrants from leaving the Canary Islands, to turn the Canary Islands into Spain's great prison. But I don't think the argument of containment is enough right now.

Do you want other parties to join in the demand for a vote of confidence?

I think we're raising a question of common sense, one that the Socialist Party should reflect on. Sánchez must be aware that he can't govern without the confidence of Congress. He once let slip that he was willing to govern without the support of Congress. I was concerned when I heard that statement. If he wants to run out his term, he has to tell us why.

What do you think of the Constitutional Court's ruling on the Amnesty Law?

We are democrats. We accept the Constitutional Court's ruling on the Amnesty Law. We were against it and voted against it. The Constitutional Court has ruled, and we accept its verdict.