Who will run the country?
Spain elections: Feijóo launches doomed bid to lead country
Despite Feijóo’s party winning July’s snap poll, his rival Pedro Sánchez remains best placed to form a government
Two months after winning July’s general election but failing to secure a parliamentary majority, the leader of Spain’s conservative People’s party (PP) is launching an almost certainly doomed bid to become the country’s next prime minister.
Although the PP, led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo, finished first in the snap election, it failed to win enough votes to form a government, taking 137 seats in Spain’s 350-seat congress. Despite the arithmetical challenge, King Felipe has asked the party to try to form a government during this week’s investiture session, which begins with a day of debate on Tuesday.
Even with the support of the far-right Vox party, which won 33 seats, and one vote each from the small Navarrese People’s Union and Canaries Coalition parties, Feijóo can muster only 172 votes. To become prime minister, he needs an absolute majority (176 votes out of 350) in a first vote, which will be held on Wednesday, or a simple majority – more yes votes than no votes – in a second vote to be held on Friday.
Feijóo is unlikely to win either vote, leaving the Spanish Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE), led by the acting prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, best placed to form a government. But while Sánchez can count on votes from his own party, from its partners in the leftwing Sumar alliance and from a handful of Basque and Catalan nationalist parties, he will also need to enlist the support of Junts, the hardline Catalan separatist party led by Carles Puigdemont.
The problem for Sánchez is that Puigdemont – who fled Spain to avoid arrest over his role in the unilateral and unlawful push for independence six years ago – has insisted his support will be conditional on the granting of amnesty to him and hundreds of others involved in the attempted secession.
The PP has seized on the possibility of an amnesty to rally support and to portray the PSOE leader as craven, dependent on Catalan separatists and hellbent on remaining in office. Speaking at his party’s large, anti-amnesty protest in Madrid on Sunday, Feijóo accused Sánchez of “an utter lack of moral and political integrity” and of degrading Spanish democracy in order to hang on as prime minister.
In his investiture address to MPs on Tuesday, Feijóo was adamant that he would not countenance any amnesty or steps towards Catalan self-determination, even if doing so cost him the opportunity to take office.
“I will not forsake the equality of Spaniards – something we all share – to become prime minister,” he said. “I will not jump through any hoop that stands counter to the general interest to become prime minister. I will not betray the trust of the Spaniards who vote for me to become prime minister.”
Sánchez, who has been careful to avoid explicit mention of an amnesty, is confident that he can attract the 176 votes he needs to remain in Moncloa Palace. “[The PP] are demonstrating against a socialist government,” he told supporters in Catalonia on Sunday. “But I’m sorry – there’s going to be a socialist government.”
If, as expected, Feijóo fails in his bid to become prime minister, Sánchez will have two months to attempt to form a government. Should that fail, Spain will return to the polls in January for its sixth general election in nine years.
Comments
As it was expected, Feijóo has failed with 172 votes in favour from PP, VOX, UPN y CC because PSOE, SUMAR, PNV, BILDU, JUNTS, BNG and ERC have voted against him, say, 178 votes. We could say that they are on the right have lost, while they are on the left have won, but it´s not exactly because with winners were far left, left, right and far right. These things, in my opinion, only happen in Spain.
Therefore, it´s the chance for Mr. Sánchez can be invested with the presidency of Spanish Government, one time more. He only has to put up with the amnesty to hundreds criminals, so although they ask for the referendum of independence, it seems that with the amnesty it will be enough for them.
PSOE, SUMAR, PNV, BILDU, JUNTS, BNG and ERC are bidding an ordago now (game mus), but if they can´t get it at the end, they will be content with the amnesty only because, at the bottom, only want to avoid that PP governs.
See you.
There's been a fair amount of turmoil in UK politics over the last few years - PMs were kicked out by their own party. While it is true that unity is important, I'd rather have a system in which MPs have freedom to vote however they like (though they will be pressured to follow the party line). It keeps governments on their toes. I wonder how many PP MPs don't agree with forming a government with the help of VOX and likewise, how many in the PSOE would, if they could, vote against their own party lining up with JUNTS.
Even when there is no one party with an outright majority, governments are formed within days under the UK system. The removal vans are usually in Downing Street within hours of a PM losing an election.
It's been over two months since the election in Spain. Why was so much time wasted on the charade of Feijóo trying to form a government? It was right that he should have first chance but it was clear from the outset that he couldn't. So I suppose Sanchez will now have two months in order to come to an agreement with all these parties, won't he? And if he is unsuccessful, there'll be elections for Christmas.
As for your assertion that those involved with the referendum are criminals, let's just say that I disagree and we'll leave it at that.
As (was) expected, Feijóo has failed to get his majority, with 172 votes in favour from PP, VOX, UPN and CC while PSOE, SUMAR, PNV, BILDU, JUNTS, BNG and ERC voted against him with 178 votes. We could say that those on the right have lost, while those on the left have won, but that's not entirely true because the winners were made up of the far left, left, right and far right. These things, in my opinion, only happen in Spain.
Therefore, Mr. Sánchez has a chance to be sworn in as PM of the Spanish Government once more. He only has to agree to an amnesty to hundreds of freedom fighters. although they have asked for a referendum on independence, it seems that an amnesty will be enough for them.
PSOE, SUMAR, PNV, BILDU, JUNTS, BNG and ERC are an ordago now (game mus), but if they can't get it in the end, they will be content with the amnesty. All because, >at the end of the day, they only want to prevent the PP from governing.