Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has called early general elections

Today, February 15, 2019 Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has called early general elections for April 28, 2019. Just two days ago, parliament rejected his minority government’s 2019 budget plan with 191 against 158 votes, with 1 abstention. The conservative People’s Party (PP), the center-right Citizens party (Ciudadanos), the Catalan Republican Left and the Catalan European Democratic party all voted against it.

Subsequently, prime minister Sánchez said in a television broadcasted statement: “Between doing nothing and continuing without the budget and calling on Spaniards to have their say, I choose the second. Spain needs to keep advancing, progressing with tolerance, respect, moderation and common sense.” He stressed his government’s record when it comes to job creation, social and environmental issues.

The Socialist came to power in June 2018 because the Basque and Catalan nationalists as well as others were ready to oust the Conservative prime minister Rajoy who was tainted by corruptions scandals involving his People’s Party (PP).

Ahead of the February 13, 2019 budget vote, the two separatist Catalan parties had demanded the recognition of Catalonia’s right to self-determination in exchange for their vote. This demand came just days after a trial of 12 separatist leaders had began in Madrid, which angered many Catalans. Before that, the prime minister had managed to improve the central governments relations with Catalan nationalist and separatist politicans. Already accused of giving to much to the separatists, the prime minister could not cross what has considers a red line and, therefore, lost the separatist’s support.

Sánchez’s PSOE controls only 84 of 350 seats in parliament. Therefore, the suprise is not the early end of his Socialist minority government, but rather the fact that it lasted so long. Equally surprising, Sánchez had come to power despite the fact that, just months earlier, he had led his party to its worst-ever election result. He was just a good-liking guy with no record. Nevertheless, just 7 months after the electoral disaster, he managed a remarkable comeback: he returned as PSOE party chief by defeating the party favorite, Susana Díaz, the regional president of Andalusia, Spain’s largest region and a Socialist stronghold.

The April 28, 2019 general election may see the rise of the far-right, populist Vox party on the national level. Vox was and is advocating a nationalist, anti-immigration, anti-gay and anti-lesbian agenda, to name just a few key points. In December 2018, after local elections, Vox had managed to form a center-to-far-right coalition government including the PP, Ciudadanos and Vox in Andalusia; this region had been governed by the PSOE since 1982!

Prime minister Pedro Sánchez will be in a difficult position. On the left, he faces the stiff competition from the populist-left wing Podemos party leader Pablo Iglesias, who has positioned himself as an anti-austerity champion. And, as the budget vote has shown, Sánchez’s relations with left-wing, Catalan separatist leaders have soured.

In addition, on May 26, 2019 Spanish voters will have the right to vote again, this time in the local, regional and European elections.

Check also our 2017 article about the incompetence of the Spanish and Catalan leaders.

Prime minister Pedro Sánchez in 2018 . This official photo was published by the Ministry of the Presidency of the Government of Spain, for instance on the website of La Moncloa. / used by Wikipedia.

Article published on February 15, 2019 at 13:37 German time.