After months of crisis and four early elections in four years Spain has a Government again. "Gentlemen, having achieved the favorable vote of the simple majority of the Chamber, candidate Pedro Sánchez Castejón gained confidence. I will communicate the decision to the head of state so that he is appointed president of the government". With these words Meritxell Batet, president of the Congress of Deputies, announces the birth of the new Psoe-Podemos Executive. Will be the first coalition government in Spanish democratic history. Until today, in fact, the PP and PSOE had always alternated in power as monolithic blocks, sometimes enjoying the external support of other parties.
The Madrid Parliament gave its confidence to Sanchez in the context of the second investiture vote. The leader of the socialist party obtained 167 votes in favor, 165 against, 18 abstentions. Only two votes, therefore, but sufficient to reach the simple majority necessary for this second round (in the first, held on January 5, there was instead the need to reach an absolute majority).
To say Yes to the investiture, in addition to the 120 deputies of the PSOE and the 35 of Podemos, also the 6 of the Pnv, and the 3 Más País. Nueva Canarias, BNG and Teruel Existe also vote in favour, with one deputy each. The No votes instead came from: PP (88 seats), Vox (52), Ciudadanos (10), Junts per Catalunya (8), CUP (2), UPN (2), CC (1), Foro Asturias (1) y PRC (1).
The abstention of the 13 deputies of Esquerra Republicana was decisive (ERC), the Catalan independence party which, following the agreement signed on 2 January, allowed the birth of the new Executive. and of the 5 of Eh Bildu.
The socialist party, as mentioned, will go to the Government together with Podemos by Pablo Iglesias. Casado's Partido Popular, Vox's ultra-right party and Ciudadanos' centrists will remain in opposition.
In a few days, Sánchez will communicate the names of the ministers. On the basis of the agreements, Iglesias' party should obtain weighty seats, among which the vice-presidency assigned to Iglesias stands out. The swearing-in of the new government could be held as early as Friday.
“With the progressive coalition government in Spain, a season of dialogue and useful politics opens. A government for all that extends rights, restores coexistence and defends justice
social,” Sanchez tweeted.
