The roller coaster of government and opposition during tariff week: From good will to distrust

Sunday 13 April 2025 - 13:45

By: Zahouani Ilham

The roller coaster of government and opposition during tariff week: From good will to distrust

Within a week, both the Government and the opposition shifted from aligning on how to respond to the trade war sparked by Donald Trump to showcasing clear differences. While both sides broadly agree on the issue, as usual in their political relationship, the manner of negotiations has taken center stage. The People's Party (PP), once praising Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo's "good will" to reach an agreement on tariff legislation, has recently expressed "distrust" in the government's negotiator.

Currently, negotiations have stalled. The opposition believes the ball is now in the government's court, while the government is appealing to the PP's "sense of state" to support the decree and continue working on anti-tariff measures.

Just two days after the U.S. administration activated its tariff threat, imposing a 20% tax on all European products (which was later suspended, though a 10% tariff remained for all products), the government called the opposition to discuss the crisis as a state matter. Unlike previous occasions, this time the government wanted to highlight the main opposition party, inviting them one day earlier than other parliamentary groups. The PP appreciated the gesture and underscored the "good will" of the minister.

Despite recognizing the "cordial treatment," the PP emphasized that the government still lacked a concrete plan to address the situation that the U.S. president had warned about. Both sides appointed more technical than political figures to lead the negotiations.

The PP sent its economic spokesperson, Juan Bravo, to the table, while the government chose Minister Carlos Cuerpo to handle negotiations with both political groups and regional governments. This differed from past practices when Minister Félix Bolaños handled these discussions.

The tone remained positive as Bravo extended an olive branch to the government, signaling that the PP would act with "state sense." As negotiations continued, Cuerpo sent the draft decree to all groups, intending to incorporate proposals from other parties. The leader of the opposition, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, took the opportunity to present his own anti-tariff plan.

However, the goodwill began to falter when Junts announced changes to the decree that would benefit Catalonia. Cuerpo called Bravo to clarify the situation and ease tensions. The minister acknowledged the PP's concerns and reassured them that the tone remained "good" and that transparency was being prioritized.

Yet, the trust the PP had placed in the government evaporated when the official decree, published in the Official Gazette, showed discrepancies with the previously shared draft, favoring the independentists' demands. Bravo publicly questioned the government's approach and warned of further consequences if the situation persisted.

Despite the government's defense of the decree, claiming the changes were merely procedural, tensions continued to rise. Feijóo remained firm, stating that the government had not moved closer to a solution. In the meantime, the government focused on engaging with regional authorities, some of whom were from the PP, in an attempt to maintain progress.