In Andorra, Xavier Espot will be able to keep his chair. The head of government and his center-right coalition won the legislative elections in the principality on Sunday, according to almost final official results.
According to these results, Xavier Espot’s Democrats came out on top with 32.38% of the vote, while the Social Democrats of the man who was presented as his main opponent, Pere Lopez, only came third. position (21.12%), behind the newcomers of a party with less than a year of existence, Concordia (21.50%).
A coalition in power for 12 years
The outgoing coalition, in power for 12 years even if Xavier Espot was only elected head of government in 2017, will therefore govern for four more years. The Democrats party won an absolute majority of 16 general councilors (deputies) out of the 28 who make up the General Council, the principality’s unicameral parliament.
In a campaign centered on economic and social issues, the head of government had promised “continuity”, as well as “supporting the dynamics of economic growth, which will allow us to carry out social programs, particularly in housing” while the principality is affected by a surge in rents, in a context of real estate speculation. He also wanted to “diversify the economy, because tourism is 40% of GDP”.
A principality with two co-princes
Removed from the list of tax havens in 2009, Andorra is trying to attract wealthy people with an attractive tax policy. The principality also has a unique institutional particularity because it has at the top of the state two co-princes with an honorary role: the President of the French Republic and the Bishop of Urgell, a Spanish town near Andorra.