Barely three months after the parliamentary re-election in Spain, deputies in Madrid vote today on the re-election of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Until recently, it was unclear whether the 47-year-old – who has been in office since last summer – gets the votes necessary to remain head of government.
In the first round of voting, which is expected in the early afternoon, but he will probably miss the required absolute majority of 176 votes. Then on Thursday, a second vote would follow, in which the simple majority is sufficient – that is, more yes-no votes.
Coalition talks are not progressing
The Social Democratic Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) has been talking for weeks with the left-wing Unidas Podemos (UP) coalition government on a coalition government. The Socialists had long stressed that they did not want a coalition. According to media reports, UP requires at least four ministries.
Until the end, no agreement was reached. Together PSOE and UP come to 167 votes. Several smaller groups, including the Basque parties PNV and Bildu, announced that they did not want to put any obstacles in the way of Sanchez’s second vote. The PSOE had won the parliamentary re-election on 28 April, but missed the absolute majority clearly.
