Pedro Sánchez wins second term as Spain’s PM after Catalan amnesty deal
Sam Jones
Pedro Sánchez has clinched a second term as Spain’s prime minister after winning an ill-tempered investiture vote that was dominated by his decision to secure the support of Catalan separatists with a controversial amnesty.
The vote on Thursday came almost four months after an inconclusive snap election in July in which Sánchez’s governing Spanish Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE) was narrowly defeated by its conservative rivals in the People’s party (PP).
Sánchez won an absolute majority in the investiture vote, securing the support of 179 of Spain’s 350 MPs. But his victory has come at a high price and has depended on the backing of smaller regional parties, including Catalan and Basque nationalists.
Despite finishing first in July’s election, the PP proved unable to form a government with the support of the far-right Vox party and other smaller groupings.
Sánchez and his partners in the leftwing Sumar alliance, however, managed to cobble together the necessary backing for their coalition by acceding to the demands of the two main Catalan pro-independence parties to grant an amnesty to those involved in the failed push for regional independence six years ago.
Read the full story here.
Key events
Europe’s socialists are celebrating.
European Council president Charles Michel has also congratulated Pedro Sánchez.
Pedro Sánchez wins second term as Spain’s PM after Catalan amnesty deal
Sam Jones
Pedro Sánchez has clinched a second term as Spain’s prime minister after winning an ill-tempered investiture vote that was dominated by his decision to secure the support of Catalan separatists with a controversial amnesty.
The vote on Thursday came almost four months after an inconclusive snap election in July in which Sánchez’s governing Spanish Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE) was narrowly defeated by its conservative rivals in the People’s party (PP).
Sánchez won an absolute majority in the investiture vote, securing the support of 179 of Spain’s 350 MPs. But his victory has come at a high price and has depended on the backing of smaller regional parties, including Catalan and Basque nationalists.
Despite finishing first in July’s election, the PP proved unable to form a government with the support of the far-right Vox party and other smaller groupings.
Sánchez and his partners in the leftwing Sumar alliance, however, managed to cobble together the necessary backing for their coalition by acceding to the demands of the two main Catalan pro-independence parties to grant an amnesty to those involved in the failed push for regional independence six years ago.
Read the full story here.
Estonia’s prime minister, Kaja Kallas, has also congratulated Pedro Sánchez.
“Estonia and Spain are good partners in the EU, close allies in NATO. Appreciate Spain’s commitment to collective defence in our region,” she said, adding: “Looking forward to making our cooperation even stronger.”
Congratulations, @sanchezcastejon, on your reappointment as Prime Minister of #Spain.
Estonia and Spain are good partners in the EU, close allies in NATO. Appreciate Spain’s commitment to collective defence in our region.
Looking forward to making our cooperation even stronger. pic.twitter.com/cM6DCfdI3A
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) November 16, 2023
Vox asks PP for ‘coordination’
Sam Jones
Vox’s Pepa Millán said the party “is going to oppose this coup d’état by all legitimate means.”
Pedro Sánchez, she said, “has become a despot,” adding: “We ask for coordination with the PP against the coup majority.”
The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has congratulated Pedro Sánchez.
“It’s good that we can continue working side by side. Because we see many challenges in the world from a very similar perspective. I will be happy to continue the close cooperation between Germany and Spain, as well as in Europe,” he said.
¡Felicidades, @sanchezcastejon! Es bueno que podamos seguir trabajando codo a codo. Porque vemos muchos retos del mundo desde una perspectiva muy similar. Me alegrará continuar con la estrecha cooperación entre Alemania y España, así como en Europa. pic.twitter.com/EfiPyRgt8v
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) November 16, 2023
Feijóo: History will grant Sánchez no amnesty
Sam Jones
The conservative People’s party (PP)’s Alberto Núñez Feijóo gave a flavour of things to come.
“Pedro Sánchez has won an investiture that was sealed in Waterloo. I will lead the opposition, defending equality between all Spaniards and in the face of the huge assault on the rule of law,” he said, adding: “History will grant [Sánchez] no amnesty.”
“Democracy will always prevail in the face of noise and darkness, and today it has been demonstrated again,” Spain’s socialist party wrote on social media platform X.
“We will continue to build a better country based on equality and social justice with a new progressive government,” it added.
Porque la democracia siempre prevalecerá frente al ruido y la oscuridad, y hoy se ha vuelto a demostrar.
Seguiremos construyendo un país mejor basado en la igualdad y la justicia social con un nuevo gobierno progresista.
Hoy podemos decir con orgullo que @sanchezcastejon es… pic.twitter.com/xmSJWLcRY7
— PSOE (@PSOE) November 16, 2023
Sam Jones
Pedro Sánchez thanked everyone who supported him.
Note the thank yous in Galician, Catalan, Basque and Spanish
Me quiero dirigir a todos los grupos que hoy me darán su apoyo para renovar como presidente y formar un nuevo Gobierno de coalición.
A los 179 diputados y diputadas que han comprometido su voto y que representan a más de 12,6 millones de ciudadanos que el pasado 23 de julio… pic.twitter.com/pzjHRB51QK
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) November 16, 2023
The European Greens have welcomed today’s vote.
Their co-chairs Mélanie Vogel and Thomas Waitz said:
In July, Spanish citizens said “¡No pasarán!” to the right and far right. And four months later, the most progressive and Green Spanish government to date has begun. The government will integrate the green transition in all public policy, and all climate policy will be socially just. This Spanish victory is a great inspiration for Europe and the upcoming European elections.
