2023-05-29 18:03:00
The chaos in Spanish politics might not come at a worse time for the European Union.
On Monday, the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, called early general elections for July 23. But Spain will assume the rotating presidency of the EU Council on July 1, meaning Madrid will be responsible for leading the bloc’s legislative process for the next six months.
It is a difficult task in the best of cases, and even more so when you are going through a campaign and the possible formation of a new government. Now Spain will be distracted for at least the first month of its EU term as candidates focus on winning over voters. And if Sánchez were to lose, that might mean additional time wasted for the transition.
Spain: Pedro Sánchez brought forward the elections following the defeat of the left
“Spain’s ability to oversee the presidency and run key dossiers will be severely constrained,” Federico Santi, a senior analyst at Eurasia Group, said in an interview on Monday. “The first month will be lost with a lame government in command, and probably much of August, September and October when the new government takes office and finds its footing.”
The country that holds the presidency of the EU chairs the Council meetings in which policy is oriented on issues that can range from the reform of the electricity market to the implementation of the bloc’s ambitious green agreement. This leaves the country holding the presidency responsible for trying to get the 27 member states to cooperate on sensitive issues.
One of the big pending issues to be dealt with during Spain’s term will be the reform of EU tax rules, according to Jacob Kirkegaard, a researcher at the German Marshall Fund.
The right advanced in the regional elections of Spain, a shock for the PSOE of Pedro Sánchez
EU member states have bogged down in their attempt to adjust the bloc’s spending rules, contained in the so-called Stability and Growth Pact, which sets limits on budget deficits and debt. Sweden, which currently chairs the EU, has not been able to make much progress on this dossier.
A distracted government also means that Sánchez may miss the opportunity to raise important issues for Spain.
“In my opinion, he is not only gambling with his own political life, but also with Spain’s ability to influence the broader EU agenda,” Kirkegaard said in an interview.
You may also like
1685384013
#Spains #early #election #disrupt #priorities
