Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez calls early election for July 23
Prime minister says he will dissolve Spain’s parliament after his party performed poorly in local and regional polls.
Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister of Spain, has called an early general election for July 23 after his party suffered a major setback in local and regional polls.
In a televised address to the nation on Monday, Sanchez said he had informed King Felipe VI of his decision to dissolve parliament.
It came a day after his Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and its junior ally Podemos lost ground during the polls, while rival conservative People’s Party (PP) and far-right party Vox outperformed.
“I took the decision when looking at the results of the elections of yesterday,” Sanchez said.
“Although yesterday’s elections had a local and regional scope, the meaning of the vote conveys a message that goes beyond that. That is why, as both prime minister and PSOE’s secretary-general, I personally assume the results,” he added.
Sanchez had previously said he would complete his four-year term, suggesting that polls would be held in December.
In the municipal poll, the PP won 31.5 percent of votes compared with 28.2 percent for the Socialists, a 1.2 percentage point decrease for PSOE on 2019, but almost a nine point increase for the conservatives, which benefited from the collapse of the centrist Citizens party.
The PP won in seven of the 12 regions contested and dominated in several regions previously won by PSOE, including Valencia, Aragon and La Rioja. It remains to be seen whether the PP will have to rely on far-right party Vox to form regional governments.
Spain’s regional governments have enormous power and budgetary discretion over education, health, housing and policing.
