As the scheduled Conference of Presidents approaches this Friday in Barcelona, a contentious dispute over the agenda threatens its proceedings. The Popular Party (PP) has empowered its regional leaders to boycott the event if President Sánchez does not adjust the agenda to include crucial issues such as housing, education, regional financing, and the lack of healthcare professionals. This move follows formal requests submitted by 11 PP regional presidents and representatives from two autonomous cities.

PP’s national spokesperson, Borja Sémper, has publicly declared the possibility of a boycott if the government ignores their demands, asserting that their requests are legally justified. Sémper emphasized that the PP holds a majority within the Conference of Presidents, quoting the conference's regulations that mandate agenda inclusion for issues raised by a majority of representatives. With 13 votes against the government's 7, the PP believes it has the upper hand.

The PP’s leadership, under Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has given its leaders the green light to boycott the conference, a stance previously only taken by Catalan and Basque independentists. Sémper stressed the significant institutional efforts made by PP presidents, but condemned the government for allegedly disregarding the conference's regulations. He asserted that any disruption would be the government's fault, describing their actions as an affront.

This stance marks a departure from the PP’s earlier commitment to institutional respect, a principle challenged when Isabel Díaz Ayuso previously boycotted Sánchez’s meetings. Although Feijóo criticized Ayuso’s absence, he acknowledged her reasoning, highlighting the tension between institutional respect and political strategy.

With a demonstration against the government planned by Feijóo for Sunday, the PP is poised to challenge institutional norms, accusing the government of failing to uphold them. Previously, only Catalan and Basque leaders have abstained from this crucial coordination forum between Spain's central government and its 17 autonomous communities.

The threat of boycott coincides with serious accusations from the PP against the government, following recordings implicating a PSOE member, Leire Díez, in seeking evidence against an investigator of alleged government corruption. Feijóo has labeled Sánchez as a "mafia boss" due to these revelations. Additionally, the PP has raised concerns over potential irregularities in the 2023 general elections' mail-in voting process, linking Díez’s involvement with possible misconduct, despite Correos refuting her role in coordinating the vote.