Rosalind Evans
Pedro Sanchez, Spain’s Prime Minister, has urged for the dissolution of the Spanish Parliament and the scheduling of an early general election for July 23.
Sanchez confirmed that he had apprised Spain’s King Felipe VI of his plans.
The initial timetable for the general elections was in December; however, substantial defeats suffered by Sanchez’s governing Socialist party in the May 28 vote prompted an earlier date. Election results indicated that the Socialist Party only managed to secure three out of the 12 regions where elections took place, with the remainder falling into the hands of the Conservative People’s Party and its alliances.
“Given the election results from yesterday, I made this decision,” Sanchez announced during a televised press conference on Monday, as translated by CNBC.
“Even though the elections yesterday were primarily municipal… the sentiment expressed in the votes extended beyond that. As the government’s leader and as the secretary-general of the Socialist party, I take personal responsibility for the results and believe it is necessary to respond.”
Before the results were announced earlier on Monday, Javier Lamban, leader of Aragon (a region that the People’s Party successfully wrested control of during the Sunday vote) had stated: “We knew we had to erect an impervious barrier against the national wave, but in the end, the barrier could not withstand.”
In light of the shifted political landscape, all eyes will now be on Spain as the nation prepares for an unexpected general election this July. The outcome will be pivotal in deciding Spain’s political trajectory. With the Socialist Party’s recent losses, the upcoming election will undoubtedly serve as a testament to their ability to regain lost ground or mark the rise of the People’s Party as a leading political force in Spain.
