Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced early elections on November 29. Sanchez, who has been at the helm of the country since 2018, made this decision after the country's Congress rejected two legal changes related to the housing crisis on Friday. "We must renew and expand public support for implementing the necessary reforms so that we reduce these inequalities," the prime minister said.
A majority in the Spanish parliament has so far been secured with the help of several small and regional parties that do not always vote in unison with Sanchez's socialists. His government has recently been blocked by the legislature over a number of policies.
A series of crises has brought down Sanchez
In recent months, the left-wing government has been under serious pressure - it lacks a majority in Congress, corruption scandals have weakened it, the crisis in Ceuta has drawn serious criticism, and the case of the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home in Madrid has raised the issue of the housing crisis and rising prices.
Sanchez has strongly opposed Trump and his attack on Iran, which according to the Spanish Prime Minister contradicts international law. In May 2024, Spain also recognized Palestine as a state.
The country is enjoying a serious economic boom. According to the government, a liberal approach to migration and allowing hundreds of thousands to legalize their status in the country allow Spain to obtain the necessary workforce to continue this positive development. These policies clash sharply with the positions of the far right, whose influence in Europe is growing. The crisis in the exclave of Ceuta, where tens of thousands of migrants flooded from the Moroccan border in a matter of hours in the summer, has become a weapon for Sanchez's opponents. "You, the people of Spain, must decide (...) whether you want to join this far-right wave that is leading to regression wherever it governs, or whether you want Spain to remain a bastion of openness, social justice and environmental responsibility," Sanchez said today.
The policies of the left-wing government in Madrid have also drawn sharp criticism from Donald Trump. Trump has threatened to stop all trade with Spain and called for it to be expelled from NATO after Madrid banned Washington from using its military airfields for attacks in the Middle East. "The question is not whether we support the ayatollahs. Nobody supports them. The question is whether we are on the side of international law and therefore on the side of peace," the Spanish prime minister said at the time.
The right is leading in the polls
According to the latest polls, the right-wing Popular Party is leading by about 8% over Sanchez's Socialists. The far-right Vox is in third place. The two right-wing parties are already partnering at the local level and working together as an opposition.
During his address to the nation, Sanchez highlighted the economic boom that Spain has enjoyed in recent years. "Spain has become a global example of peace, feminism and prosperity," he said, and urged citizens to support him in the upcoming elections.
Source: www.dw.com