Spanish voters finally gave a big rebuff to the Far Right People’s Party(PP) and the fascist VOX by denying them majority in the 350 member house of national assembly elections to which were held on Sunday, July23. Despite all opinion poll predictions about the defeat of the coalition government headed by Pedro Sanchez with participation of left Podemos including the Communist Party, the ruling PSOE and the left coalition Sumar did well putting them above the total tally of the far right formation.
Out of the 37 million voters, 70 per cent voted. Despite sweltering heat currently sweeping Spain. PP got 136 seats as against122 by the Sanchez’s Party PSOE while the fascist pro Franco VOX got 33 seats and the left coalition Sumar 31. What is significant that VOX was supposed to get more seats as per all predictions but the fascist party lost 19 seats as against the 2019 elections tally and this was possible due to the last minute campaign by the Communist leader Yolanda Diaz who is the head of the Sumar coalition.
Overall, the position is that the present coalition of Sanchez and the Left are having 172 seats while the far right bloc has got a total of 170 seats. Out of the remaining eight seats, Sanchez has the possibility of getting another four which will give the present ruling coalition a clear majority in the 350 member house. Sanchez has to seek the help of the Junte and ERC of Catalonia which have separatist agenda but they are more flexible to Left coalition as against the PP bloc which is totally against giving any concessions to the Catalonian separatists.
The new Parliament will be convened on August 17 and in these 24 days, the ruling coalition led by Pedro Sanchez will get time to negotiate with smaller parties. If he is not able to get another four members, still he can be allowe by the King to form the new government in view of heading the largest bloc. But Sanchez can again recommend fresh elections to end the instability of the new government.
Both Sanchez and the communists were elated at the results since the fascist VOX f lost heavily.“Spain and all its citizens who voted have been absolutely clear,” Sanchez told a jubilant crowd gathered at the Socialists’ headquarters in Madrid. “The backwards-looking bloc that wanted to roll back all the progress we made over the past four years has failed.” Though PP emerged as the leading party, its lead over PSOE was only 14 much less than what was projected in the opinion polls.
Sanchez in his campaign focused on warning about the danger of a PP-Vox government to mobilise the electorate. The strategy appears to have paid off, with turnout reaching almost 70 percent, some 3.5 percentage points higher than in 2019.Sumar head Diaz who was instrumental in preparing the electoral list for the coalition was also happy as her campaign was most successful in the areas dominated by the VOX and VOX lost heavily instead of garnering more seats. That sealed the fate of the PP-VOX bloc and far right hope of getting majority was rebuffed.
Alberto Feijoo, who took over as head of the PP in April 2022, had focused his campaign on promising to “overthrow Sanchismo” a derogative term for Sanchez’s policies.. In his remarks after the counting, the far right leader said he would push for the chance to form a government as the party with most seats. It is his duty to form the next government, he said.
The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) said before the election that it had no agreement with PP and Vox while Teruel Existe told El Pais it would not support such a coalition. That way Sanchez has more options for forming the government, but he has to be ready for tough bargaining on some of the issues which the ruling coalition has been opposing since long. It will be known next month whether there is a new coalition government in Spain or the country goes for another general elections for ensuring a stable government.
For the European Left, the latest results in Spain elections have come as a big relief. The hype in media about the far right take over in Spain and the entry of the pro Franco fascists in the government for the first time since the establishment of democracy in 1975 after the death of dictator Franco, had created a big worry in the European socialist circles. Already, in other countries of Europe, Italy, Sweden, Finland and Greece, the right parties are ruling. In Portugal only, the Socialists are ruling and the Communist Party which was earlier supporting the Socialist Government, is now in opposition.
In France, the political situation is still fluid. The latest strikes in the immigrant dominated areas of Paris leading to clashes and deaths have united the trade unions. The far right party of Le Pen is campaigning for throwing out the immigrants but the Macron government is taking a soft policy as of now. In Britain only, all indications suggest the ruling Conservative Party is having its last days. The Tories lost in most of the by elections this year to Labour and the Liberals. The Labour is having a 20 per cent lead in opinion polls over the Tories. The national elections in Britain are due in 2024. The Left performance in Spain has finally given some breath of fresh air to the European Left. (IPA Service)
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