The Spanish Congress re-elected socialist Pedro Sánchez as president of the government this Thursday (16), with 179 votes in favor of his inauguration, three more than the necessary majority of 176, out of a total of 350 deputies.
Sánchez received the support of left-wing, independence, nationalist and regionalist parties with which he reached agreements after being proposed as a candidate by King Felipe VI on October 3. The political base formed by the socialist was the target of revolt by the opposition, as it is anchored in alignment with those convicted and investigated by the courts.
Before the vote, the re-elected candidate defended the full legitimacy of his inauguration and urged the Popular Party (PP), the main wing of the opposition, winner of the July elections, to accept his defeat.
Furthermore, he stressed that his government is fully constitutional, since the representation of the Spanish people resides in Parliament.
A government that, as he recalled, has power limited only by laws and its temporary mandate.
“Democracy is only possible if this temporary and limited defeat is accepted. This is parliamentary democracy and this is how it must continue to be if we are to preserve our free and peaceful coexistence,” he said.
It is now up to Felipe VI to formalize the appointment of Sánchez as head of the Executive for the next four years, as soon as the president of Congress, Francina Armengol, informs him of Congress’ decision, which is scheduled to happen today.
After two tense debate sessions, marked by the approval of the amnesty for Catalan independence activists, Sánchez managed to be re-elected for his third term as president of the Spanish government, where he will have to maintain a complex balance with all the parties that supported him.
In addition to defending the controversial amnesty before parliamentary groups, the socialist leader presented in his speeches in Congress a program for the next legislature based on harmony, social rights and Spain’s international projection.
The last few weeks have been marked by demonstrations by the opposition against the socialist’s stay in power. Last week, an act that took place in Madrid, in front of the headquarters of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), resulted in the arrest of 15 people. (With EFE agency)
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