SPAIN: Two months after the elections in Spain, right-wing parties have an opportunity this week to create a new government. But is their endeavour destined to fail?
Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the head of the conservative party in Spain, may establish a new government this week, but analysts predict it will fail because of his lack of support in parliament.
Feijóo’s Popular Party secured the most votes in the nationwide elections held on July 23, leaving all other parties well short of an absolute majority and facing a challenging road to power.
If, as anticipated, Feijóo’s attempt falls short, the incumbent Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, will have an opportunity to remain in the Moncloa Palace. This will depend on his ability to gather support from left-wing, regionalist, and even separatist parties.
Here’s a summary of what you should be aware of regarding Feijóo’s quest to become president, which commences when he addresses the Spanish parliament on Tuesday.
Right-wing leader Feijóo has two opportunities to become the next Prime Minister of the European Union’s fourth-largest economy. However, unless an unexpected turn of events occurs, he is expected to fall short of the required votes on both occasions.
On Wednesday, following 24 hours of parliamentary debate, the leader of the Popular Party would need to secure an absolute majority, which entails 176 votes in the 350-seat lower house.
If he is unable to achieve this on Wednesday, the threshold will be lowered on Friday, with only a requirement for more ‘yes’ than ‘no’ votes. This situation would potentially open the door for abstentions to sway the balance in his favour.
The Popular Party, with its 137 seats, is the largest group in parliament. However, even with the support of 33 votes from the far-right Vox party and two additional votes from small conservative parties in Navarre and the Canary Islands, it still falls short by four votes.
Feijóo’s prospects appear to hinge on the unexpected possibility of abstention. The majority of political parties in Spain, spanning the political spectrum, have rejected the idea of forming a coalition with the far-right, which is why they are not inclined to support Feijóo’s government.
Andoni Ortuzar, the leader of the Basque regionalist party PNV, emphasised this stance, saying, “There is an elephant that is not even in the room; it is in the hall, and it is blocking the way for us to enter into any relationship [with Feijóo], and that elephant is Vox,” during an interview on Spanish national radio.
Furthermore, two Catalan separatist parties, which could potentially have an influence, have both firmly rejected the idea of abstaining due to what they perceive as the Popular Party’s hostile stance towards their movement.
What happens following the defeat of the conservatives in Spain?
A failure for Feijóo would trigger a two-month window in which other candidates could come forward and seek parliamentary approval to establish a new government. If no candidate successfully passes this test, parliament would be dissolved on November 27, and elections would be scheduled for January 14.
The Socialist Party has already assumed that Feijóo will be unsuccessful and is actively working to secure the necessary support to recreate their left-wing coalition, consisting of the Socialists and the left-wing Sumar party. However, they encounter challenges.
Sánchez will require the backing of the Catalan separatist party Junts, led by Carles Puigdemont, the former head of Catalonia, who currently resides in Brussels and holds a seat in the European Parliament. Puigdemont went into exile in 2017 after spearheading an unsuccessful push for Catalan independence.
Despite a decline in support for separatist parties during the July election and an increase for unionist parties led by Catalonia’s Socialists, Puigdemont wields considerable influence as kingmaker, courtesy of Junt’s seven seats in the national parliament.
His primary demand is nothing short of amnesty for Catalans facing legal troubles stemming from their involvement in the separatist movement six years ago. However, an amnesty would face opposition from many citizens of Spain.
On Sunday, a significant demonstration took place in Madrid, with an estimated 40,000 attendees, or possibly even 60,000, according to the Popular Party. The protest was aimed at expressing opposition to potential amnesty proposals put forward by acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
Amid the discussion about a potential amnesty, which has cast a shadow over his own prospects of forming a government, Feijóo is attempting to leverage the controversy surrounding this issue to enhance his limited chances.
Also Read: Mass Demonstrations in Spain Against Potential Amnesty for Catalan Separatists
