The call for early parliamentary elections by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez yesterday is a major topic in the Western press today, BTA writes.
SPAIN
Spaniards will vote on November 29th. Pedro Sanchez has decided to call elections months earlier than planned after failing to push through two pieces of legislation on housing on Friday, the newspaper La Pais reported.
Sanchez said that this term in office had been very difficult and called for serious support for progressive forces in the upcoming elections, the Spanish publication noted.
After a weekend of reflection and numerous consultations with members of the government, leading figures from his party and partners from other parties, Sanchez decided to dissolve parliament nine months before the end of his term. This time it was not like in 2023, when the prime minister surprisingly called elections just hours after the defeat of his Spanish Socialist Workers' Party in local and regional elections held this year. This time, Sanchez considered his decision for several days and listened to leading figures from the Socialist Party and important members of his government, who believe that the current moment is an opportunity to conduct the election campaign in slightly better conditions than later.
Although the election campaign officially begins 15 days before the elections, Spanish politics is entering a pre-election mode. In a sense, it has been in this mode for many months, especially on the part of the opposition, which has not stopped demanding the convening of elections almost since the beginning of the governing mandate, writes "Pais".
Unlike 2023, the challenge now seems much more serious. Practically all sociological surveys indicate that the right will score a convincing victory, assuming the conservative Popular Party and the far-right "Vox" to win a total of over 50% and end eight years of left-wing rule.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called early elections, listening to the opinion of the majority in the Socialist Party and in the government. Sanchez ran to the fact that despite the sociological surveys, the duel with the Popular Party is not a foregone conclusion, writes the Spanish newspaper "Mundo".
Sanchez pressed the red button for the elections on November 29 and launched an election battle marked by polarization, writes the newspaper "Vanguardia".
GREAT UNITED KINGDOM
Polarized politics in Spain could guarantee a new mandate for Pedro Sanchez, writes the newspaper "The Times".
The European left is on the verge of collapse, writes the newspaper "Daily Telegraph" in connection with the calling of early elections in Spain.
Sanchez's move creates a risk that the far-right party "Vox" will enter the government and the most right-wing government since Franco will come to power, the British daily newspaper points out. Pedro Sanchez is the undisputed leader of the European left. However, his time is running out. The Spanish prime minister has rolled the dice for early elections that could bring "Vox" into the national government for the first time.
The conservative Popular Party, which is leading in opinion polls, will need "Vox" as a coalition partner if it wants to come to power. That would be a nightmare scenario for Sanchez, who prides himself on his progressive policies.
"This is about Spain defeating Sanchez and everything he stands for," said Popular Party leader Alberto Nunes Feijó after the news of the snap election. Feijó is emerging as the frontrunner to become Spain's next prime minister.
Pedro Sanchez has suffered serious setbacks over the migrant crisis in Ceuta and a corruption scandal involving some of his closest allies, including his wife and brother.
Sanchez's gamble is being seen as a pragmatic move by an experienced politician who takes risks, the Guardian reports. His minority coalition government, which also includes the left-wing "Sumar" party, has been in turmoil in parliament since the prime minister secured his hold on power after inconclusive early elections he called three years ago and reached controversial agreements with pro-independence parties in Catalonia.
USA
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called early elections after his rule was rocked by a migrant crisis and corruption scandals involving members of his inner circle, the Spanish-language New York Times reported.
FRANCE
Pedro Sanchez's call for elections eight months earlier than planned aims to refute polls unfavorable to the Spanish left or at least minimize the losses of the left-wing camp, writes the newspaper "Figaro".