2023-07-31 21:34:25
The conservative opposition People’s Party (PP) won the election a week ago, but missed out on an absolute majority in an alliance with the right-wing populist Vox. The Socialists (PSOE) who were still in power and their partners also missed the “Absolute”. It is far from clear who will govern the country, which will hold the EU Council Presidency until the end of the year.
Most recently, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of the PSOE rejected the proposal by PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo to hold a meeting before the inaugural session of the new parliament on August 17 in order to prevent a “blockade” of the country. This was reported by the TV station RTVE. Feijoo demands that Sanchez’ PSOE tolerate a PP minority government. But Sanchez insists that governing majorities should be sought. However, the PSOE is far from that either.
According to media and party reports, the Socialists have meanwhile lost another seat to the PP. The counting of foreign votes showed that the PP now had 137 seats, while the PSOE had to make do with 121 seats, it said. However, the new numbers would not change the situation much, because both blocks are far from the absolute majority (176). If no government is formed, Spain faces a new vote in late 2023 or early 2024.
party power factor
Behind the scenes with the Conservatives, the stalemate is apparently already being fought over for the party leadership. Should Feijoo not manage to get the PP into government despite the election victory, Madrid regional president Ayuso is ready. She is regarded as a great hope within the party and, according to the Financial Times (FT), was already the focus of attention during the election celebrations: supporters kept interrupting the party leader’s speech by shouting “Ayuso”.
Archyde.com/Juan Medina Sanchez (left) and Feijoo both want to form a government and prevent the other
Although the 44-year-old has not signaled that she will take over the post and has always stood behind Feijoo, rumors have been circulating for some time that she might inherit the party chairmanship. Most recently, the ex-president of the Autonomous Community of Madrid, Esperanza Aguirre, spoke out in favor of Ayuso. Ayuso thanked for the trust. At the same time, she defended her party leader.
Ayuso once worked for Aguirre. Today the politician is known for her aggressive style a la Donald Trump. In the Madrid region, the number of their supporters has grown rapidly. Two months ago she was re-elected as President. Unlike Feijoo, she won an absolute majority for the PP in the local legislature in the parliamentary elections, fishing in the electoral pond of the far-right Vox.
Ayuso wants to prevent Sanchez government
The PP is aiming for a minority government because of the stalemate. But she might not convince the socialists of this. They rejected the proposal immediately following the election a week ago. The cancellation was sharply criticized by senior PP politicians. Ayuso said Sanchez would rather work with Catalan separatists who are “criminals” and “enemies of Spain”.
The coming weeks will show whether there will be another election this year or next spring because no government can be formed. For experts, however, it is clear that Feijoo has bad cards to start once more as the top candidate of the PP. According to the FT, no one within the party dares to doubt Ayuso’s power.
Meanwhile, the Madrid regional head is trying to prevent PSOE boss Sanchez from forming a new government. “In the next two weeks, when Spain is on holiday, he will ensure through the back door that he stays in power at all costs by literally selling our country to his enemies,” she said recently.
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