Madrid, Nov. 14, (dpa/GNA) – The Spanish parliament will vote on Thursday on whether Socialist Pedro Sánchez will remain prime minister for another four years, Parliament President Francisca Armengol announced on Monday in a video on the social media platform X.
Sánchez’s election for another term of office is considered certain after three and a half months of negotiations following inconclusive election results.
He can count on 179 votes in favour from the 350 members of the lower house of parliament thanks to concessions to Calatan separatist parties and a Basque party. That would be three votes more than necessary to be elected prime minister.
Debate in parliament is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, followed by the vote on Thursday.
Sánchez secured the support of two Catalan separatist parties by promising an amnesty for all those prosecuted by the judiciary for offences related to separatist endeavours.
The conservative and far-right opposition parties are up in arms about the deal, accusing Sánchez of putting the rule of law, democracy and the unity of the country are at risk.
They are also annoyed that Sánchez has managed to secure a majority, despite his Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) finishing behind the conservative People’s Party (PP) in the early elections on July 23.
King Felipe VI had therefore initially tasked the PP’s leading candidate, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, with forming the government. However, the 62-year-old Feijóo’s candidacy was rejected by the lower house at the end of September.
GNA