The attempt to appoint Partido Partido leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo as head of government has definitively failed. The Spanish parliament again refused to give him confidence in a second vote on Friday. It is likely that outgoing prime minister Pedro Sánchez will be allowed to try to form a government.
The PP leader received votes in favour from PP, Vox, UPN and Coalición Canaria. Against voted PSOE, Sumar, ERC, Junts, EH Bildu, PNV and BNG. With these parties, socialist leader Pedro Sánchez will from now on try to form a majority to stay in the Moncloa official residence.
Feijóo
The result of the first vote, on Wednesday, was predicted. Feijóo did not achieve a majority. And as expected, there were no surprises in the second and final vote of Feijóos investiture on Friday either. Today he needed more yes’s than no’s to become prime minister.
During his brief speech today, Feijóo stuck to the message he had already conveyed during Tuesday and Wednesday’s sessions: that the PP had acted “with integrity” and without breaking his “word”. And if Sánchez does manage to become president, it will be because the socialist is not keeping his promises. He was referring in particular to the promise not to approve an amnesty for the separatists.
‘Amnesty: yes, or no? I say no, what about you? Referendum: yes, or no? I say no, and you?” the PP leader blurted out directly to Sánchez, from whom he claimed he had “the courage to say what Spain will have to endure if he becomes president again”.
Sánchez
King Felipe VI will begin a new round of talks with all players with parliamentary representation in the coming days. After that, we will appoint a new candidate to form the government. That will most likely be Pedro Sánchez.
Whether the socialist Sánchez will succeed in forming a majority with a left-wing bloc remains to be seen. He needs the support of Catalan separatists, but they have high demands. Including amnesty for anyone involved in an attempt to separate Catalonia from Spain in 2017. Sánchez is considering the amnesty, leading to criticism in Spain.
If Sánchez also fails to form a government in the next two months, new elections will be called. That would most likely be in January.
