2023-09-27 16:48:49
Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the Spanish Popular Party, did not obtain sufficient support from Parliament, which rejected this Wednesday, as planned, his candidacy to be sworn in as president of the government in the first vote. This failure now activates a two-month countdown for another candidate to try, before new legislative elections are called.
First modification: 09/27/2023 – 16:48
1 min
There have been no surprises in the Spanish parliament and the conservative Alberto Núñez Feijóo has failed in his first attempt to become president of the country. Feijóo, leader of the Popular Party, won the July elections, but without the majority necessary to govern. In August he accepted the commission from King Felipe VI to attempt the investiture.
However, in recent weeks Feijóo has not managed to add any support that was not anticipated. On the contrary, he has scared away Catalan independence supporters by toughening his speech against the possible pardon of secessionist leaders convicted for the illegal 2017 referendum.
Feijóo is four votes away from reaching the absolute majority of 176 votes. Only three regionalist deputies and the far-right Vox, with which it governs in many territories of Spain, have supported the Popular Party candidate.
A second vote will be held this coming Friday, but if Feijóo fails again, the king will probably propose to the current president, the socialist Pedro Sánchez, to try for his investiture. Sánchez has the support of Sumar, the left-wing party with which he shares the government, and is negotiating with the Catalan independence forces, essential to achieve an absolute majority: he has a period of two months to try. If he does not succeed either, Spain will repeat elections on January 14, 2024.
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