The Spanish Parliament approved Pedro Sanchez as Prime Minister

According to the report of the international group Tasnim news agency, citing the German newspaper “Tagschau”, Pedro Sanchez, a social democrat, was confirmed as Spain’s prime minister for another four years. Thus, almost four months after the new parliamentary elections, the lower house in Madrid voted by 179 votes to 171 to continue the left-wing government.

This 51-year-old politician from the Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) ) has been ruling the EU’s fourth-largest economy with minority governments since mid-2018.

The determining factor for Sanchez’s re-election was the support of the two Catalan parties, to whom he promised an amnesty law. for the independence supporters of this separatist region. The conservatives (PP) and the far-right party Vox accused Sánchez of breaking the law because of the amnesty law promised to separatists. For weeks, tens of thousands of right-wing supporters have taken to the streets across the country to protest the issue. Taking over the prime ministership won the majority for himself. On the other hand, Sánchez was able to organize a majority for himself along with the left coalition of Somar and the Catalan and Basque regional parties, as well as a few other representatives. It benefits those activists who were prosecuted by the Spanish justice system after Catalonia failed to secede from Spain in 2017. Carles Puigdemont, the former president of Catalonia, who could return to Spain after years in exile, will also benefit. . In Madrid, more than 1,600 police officers were stationed around the completely closed parliament.

SRF Switzerland wrote in an article about this: In recent months, it has been heard many times that the formation of a government in a divided Spain means squaring up. This is the circle. It was created by the socialist Pedro Sánchez, head of the old and new government.

He won his majority in parliament through hard-fought negotiations. But his agreement with the separatists for a general amnesty is a controversial issue in this country. Especially since Sanchez has already spoken out against it. Therefore, Sánchez had to bow to the accusation of opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijo, who said that he had “deceived the voters” by changing his mind in favor of amnesty. Taalab remains shaky on the ground.

Catalan parties essentially see the amnesty as the first step towards a new vote on independence – but the Socialists firmly reject it. In this field, the two sides are far from reaching an agreement.

The coalition of the new government is definitely the first step towards greater understanding. However, it cannot guarantee correct and trouble-free cooperation. By agreeing with Catalonia’s separatist party, Unites, Sánchez now has a party that is not only anti-central government, but bourgeois-oriented. This issue should not make governance easy for Sanchez.

It should not be forgotten that the pressure from the political arena will remain high on the new government. The fight against the planned amnesty will continue in parliament, by the judiciary and in the streets, and other mass demonstrations have already been announced.

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