Spain enters government alliances after inconclusive general election

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his conservative rival, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, whose party secured the majority of seats in Sunday's elections in Spain, began negotiations on Monday to form alliances that would allow one of them to take power and avoid a new election.

Sanchez managed to limit the gains of the right-wing opposition and, contrary to all expectations, retained a chance to remain in power through potential alliances.

Feijoo's People's Party won 136 seats, while the far-right "VOX" party, their only possible ally in a coalition government, secured 33 seats. Together, the two parties gathered 169 parliamentary seats, which is still short of the absolute majority (176 out of a total of 350 seats).

The Socialist Party, led by Sanchez, won 122 seats, and his ally, the far-left "Unidas Podemos" party, won 31 seats.

Late on Sunday night, socialist activists gathered in front of the party headquarters chanting "They shall not pass," a slogan used against fascists during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Sanchez assured them of his ability to continue in power.

The Prime Minister stated that "the reactionary bloc of the People's Party and VOX has been defeated," and added, "We, who want Spain to continue progressing, have a much greater number."

With 153 parliamentary seats, the coalition of the Socialist Party and Unidas Podemos would need the support of various regional formations like Catalonia's "ERC" or the Basque Country's "EH Bildu," which represent the political heirs of the separatist "ETA."

However, they would also require small parties to abstain from participating in the voting session, as these parties have threatened not to allow Sanchez to remain in power without concessions.

If all the elements fall into place, Sanchez can secure 172 deputies loyal to him in the parliament, which is more than what Feijoo's People's Party would have. This would be enough for Sanchez to win in a second round of voting to name the Prime Minister, as a simple majority would be sufficient for victory.

If that doesn't happen, Spain would face another deadlock after holding four general elections between 2015 and 2019, possibly necessitating calling for new elections to break the impasse.

Despite his relative victory in Sunday's elections, Feijoo emphasized the right's entitlement to form the next government.

He said in front of the party headquarters in Madrid that the People's Party "won the elections," adding, "As the candidate of the party that received the most votes, I believe it is my duty" to try to "form a government."

Feijoo stated that he would enter into a "dialogue" with the parliamentary forces to "form a government" and urged the socialists not to obstruct his efforts.

He added, "We will talk a lot in the coming days and weeks," emphasizing that the phase "will not be easy."

Given that neither the People's Party nor VOX achieved an absolute majority, Feijoo seeks to take power from a minority position. However, to achieve this, the socialists would need to abstain from the confidence vote in parliament, which they have already stated they will not do.

Sanchez (51 years old), who called for these early elections following the left's defeat in local elections in late May, warned during his electoral campaign against the rise of the far right to power.

This strategy was successful, as voter turnout reached around 70%, an increase of 3.5% compared to the previous elections held in November 2019.

The 2023 elections drew significant attention outside Spain due to the possibility of a right-wing coalition, comprising the People's Party and VOX, coming to power in a European country known for its advancements in women's rights and the LGBT community. 

Such a scenario, if realized, would bring the far-right to power in Spain for the first time since the end of Franco's dictatorship in 1975.

With the European elections scheduled for 2024, a right-wing victory and the potential participation of the far right in governing the fourth-largest economy in the Eurozone, following their success in Italy last year, would be a severe blow to left-wing parties across the continent.



AFP