Early elections in Spain next 23 July. This was announced by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez after the defeat of the PSOE in yesterday’s administrative elections which saw right-wing formations grow throughout the country. General elections were scheduled for the end of the year.
In a televised address, Sanchez said he had communicated to King Felipe VI his decision to “dissolve Parliament and proceed with the calling of general elections for Sunday, July 23”. Although Sunday’s votes were regional and municipal, “they have a meaning that goes beyond”, declared the premier speaking from Moncloa. “I personally take charge of the results and I think it is necessary to give an answer“, underlined the premier, explaining that the situation “suggests a clarification by the Spaniards on the political forces that must guide this phase”. “The best thing – he added – is that the Spaniards take the floor to define the political direction of the country” .
The PSOE Socialists suffered a veritable electoral debacle from the PP, losing six of the nine autonomous communities it governed (Valencia Community, Extremadura, Aragon, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands and La Rioja) and 15 of the 22 provincial capitals. Only Emiliano García Page has kept Castile-La Mancha with an absolute majority, while the socialists could also continue to lead Asturias, with the support of IU and Podemos, and Navarre, where María Chivite will seek the support of her current allies.
The extraordinary Council of Ministers in the afternoon will provide the legal framework for the decision announced by Sanchez, specifies ‘El Pais’.
POPULAR PARTY
The Spanish People’s Party criticized the announcement of the early elections, accusing the prime minister of wanting to “divert attention from a drama by generating a bigger problem” by calling the vote in the middle of summer, on 23 July. “Pure and hard Sanchismo”, criticize sources from Alberto Núnez Feijoo’s team quoted by ‘El Mundo’ for whom Sanchez ensures that “the Spain that will be spending its summer holidays does not vote”.
VOX
Of different opinion the leader of the far-right Vox party, Santiago Abascalaccording to which the one given by Sánchez “is the only one positive news of these four years”. Abascal also took the opportunity to “stretch out his hand” to the PP to “build a great alternative”. “We have the opportunity to close one of the darkest periods in the history of Spain”, said the leader of Vox, who confirmed that contacts between “working groups” between his party and the People’s Party had already begun.
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