By the narrowest of margins (167 votes to 165 with 18 abstentions), the 350-seat Spanish Congress invested a coalition government of the social-democratic Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) and the more radical Unidas Podemos (UP) on January 7.
No Spanish prime minister has ever been elected by so low and so close a vote: eight of the parliament鈥檚 eighteen parties voted in favour, eight against and two abstained.
Spain鈥檚 acting Prime Minister Pedro S谩nchez, leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers鈥 Party (PSOE) and winner of the April 28 general election, informed King Philip on September 17 that he lacked the support to form a government. As a result, another general election will be held on November 10.
Despite being prime minister in a minority government, Pedro S谩nchez said that his government would run its full term. Why did he change his mind and call early elections?
On September 26 last year, Podemos鈥檚 Castilla-La Mancha secretary-general Jose Garcia Molina said that his party鈥檚 agreement keeping the regional Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) government in office in the autonomous community had 鈥渄ied of depression and shame鈥.
In the end, the expected close result never happened. At the second congress (鈥渃itizens鈥 assembly鈥) of Spain鈥檚 radical anti-austerity party Podemos, the proposals and candidate list of outgoing general secretary Pablo Iglesias easily defeated those of his rival, outgoing political secretary Inigo Errejon.
In a December Podemos membership vote over the rules that were to govern the congress, Iglesias鈥檚 position had only won marginally (41.57% as against 39.12% for Errejon鈥檚).
The left-wing anti-austerity party Podemos is planning to hold its second country-wide citizens鈥 assembly (Vistalegre II) on February 11th-12th to decide the political direction, organisational structure and its electoral strategy for the next regional and general elections.
Spanish anti-austerity party Podemos held a series of internal elections over November 7鈥9 throughout seven regions across Spain 聽鈥 Madrid, Andalusia, Extremadura, La Rioja, Castilla y Leon, Navarra y Arag贸n 鈥 and 12 different cities.
The elections were centred around the positions of the general secretaries in each region and territory, as well as the Autonomous Citizens鈥 Councils that form an integral part of the relatively new party鈥檚 political direction and organisation.
United Left leader Alberto Garzon and Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias celebrating the formation of an alliance between the two parties.
Spain's anti-austerity party Podemos and older left-wing party United Left announced on May 9 that they had reached a preliminary agreement to run on a joint platform before Spain's new general election on June 26.
