Since the recent history of the Spanish Socialists (PSOE) has been full of regional barons always willing to play the role that the president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, currently plays - disobedient, centralist and chauvinist, when it comes to matters related to Catalonia - it is not out of place to ask whether this new public battle is a gesture of rebellion by the manchego leader or if, on the contrary, the Socialists are using him as an alibi so that they end up getting their deal more cheaply.
The question arises because Page's words, exaggerating the agreement between the PSOE and the pro-independence parties, and placing his own party almost outside the Constitution after the acceptance of amendments to the amnesty bill, do not deserve any verbal response from a Socialist leadership which has placed him on the outer edge of the party. The next step would be to take him to the disciplinary committee for his permanent discrediting of the accords, which, by the way, are ratified daily both in the Congress of Deputies and in the party's executive by the representatives of Castilla-La Mancha. As if it were one thing to make noise in public, which El Mundo, ABC and La Razón like so much, and another very different thing, to play games that affect his daily bread and butter.
Because, since the beginning of Spain's Transition, the PSOE has always had characters who have stood out in playing such a role. During the years of Felipe González, three autonomous community presidents made names for themselves and were baptised as The Three Tenors. Namely, the Extremadura leader Juan Carlos Rodríguez Ibarra, the Andalusian, Manuel Chaves , while from Castilla-La Mancha there was José Bono. All three quickly came to the fore every time González had problems due to Catalan demands and the noise they generated managed to lower the initial demands. Zapatero also made use of them, because The Three Tenors remained on the political stage for some time, with the only changes being the point when Chaves gave way to Griñán and Josep Borrell returned to the political sphere. Borrell - more comfortable at times with the policies of the People's Party or Ciudadanos on the territorial question - has always had his fangs poised to bite.
It is not out of place to ask whether this new public battle is a gesture of rebellion by García-Page or, on the contrary, the Socialists are using him as an alibi to beat down their price
Now with the Pedro Sánchez generation, in addition to Page, two who have stood out like Page are Lambán (Aragon) and Vara (Extremadura). Since only Page survived the autonomous elections last May, he has been left alone in this crusade. We shall wait and see if the PSOE is determined to cut him off - if for once it stays the course, even with its parliamentary arithmetical needs. The Socialist negotiators know that everything they have had to accept in the amnesty - also including the corrections made to the subject of terrorism, has been the result of obstinately wanting to take the pro-independence parties by the hand. Many months ago, they put the final draft on the table and the minister Bolaños was reluctant to accept it. With this attitude, it is clear that for the PSOE it was a bitter pill to swallow. But they were given fair warning. Another thing is for them to pretend that it is all a pushover.