SPAIN: Spain may follow the United States and Brazil in lurching to the far-right in the legislative vote on July 23, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated on Wednesday. He also asked Spaniards to give him “strong, resounding backing for the next four years.”
Socialist Sanchez called an unexpected early election after his minority left-wing ruling coalition suffered significant setbacks in regional elections on Sunday.
Most current polls show the conservative People’s Party (PP) ahead of the Socialists but short of a complete legislative majority, meaning they will likely need to create a coalition with the anti-immigration and anti-abortion Vox party.
In his first public speech after announcing the election, Sanchez cautioned that supporting the PP would mean endorsing a party that shares the ideologies of former presidents Joe Biden in the United States and Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, who were both ousted from office after serving one term each.
He addressed the socialist legislators that while Spain is not immune to this regressive tendency, they can halt it in Spain for the sake of their sons and daughters. Additionally, he urged Spaniards to decide if they want a prime minister on the side of Lula or Bolsonaro or on the side of Biden or Trump.
Alberto Nunez Feijoo, the leader of the PP, reiterated on Wednesday that he would seek an absolute majority and declined to comment on any prospective agreement with Vox.
When speaking at a gathering in Barcelona, he added that if his party wins the election in July, he will concentrate on reducing the nation’s debt and that a government run by his party would also lower electricity costs for some businesses and consumers.
Sanchez acknowledged that conducting a quick election in the middle of the summer break is not ideal for many people, especially since it will be the first not affected by pandemic restrictions.
“I know that the first completely normal (post-pandemic) holidays are approaching, and Spanish society needs to rest and disconnect. I understand that, but what will be decided on July 23 will be decisive for Spain over the next decade,” he stated.
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