MADRID – The Prime Minister of the Spanish government held a press conference at 11 am on Monday morning following the electoral debacle of the PSOE in the elections on May 28, 2023.
Pedro Sánchez has announced that he will bring forward the general elections scheduled for the end of 2023. “The formal call for elections will appear in the Official State Gazette [the national state bulletin] tomorrow, and the elections will be held on Sunday, July 23,” he said.
The decision lies with the Spanish people
The prime minister emphasised that he believes it is in the best interest of the Spanish people to “have their say” and decide ahead of schedule “in light of the election results from yesterday”. He believes these results will lead to “magnificent mayors and presidents” being replaced despite an “impeccable administration”.
Furthermore, the current Spanish Prime Minister emphasised that the institutions will be governed by “new majorities of the PP with Vox”. “The significance of the election results conveys a message that extends beyond,” he acknowledged.
“As the Prime Minister and also as the Secretary-General of the PSOE, I fully accept the results and believe it is necessary to respond and submit our democratic mandate to the will of the people,” Sanchez concluded.
Spanish king already informed
An extraordinary council of ministers will be held on Monday afternoon to dissolve the Cortes (the Spanish parliament) and publish the decree calling for the general elections on Sunday, July 23. Sanchez communicated his decision to the king early Monday morning.
Loss of left strongholds
This is how the Spanish prime minister reacted to the loss of autonomous communities that the PSOE considered strongholds until this Sunday. The Valencian Community, Extremadura, Aragon, the Balearic Islands, and La Rioja have fallen to the People’s Party. The PSOE will also lose control of the government in the Canary Islands.
