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.
The electoral defeat of the right in Spain on April 28 is a cause for celebration for all progressive people, writes Dick Nichols.
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 February 15, 2003, in the face of the looming US-led war against Iraq鈥檚 Saddam Hussein, the Spanish state saw the biggest demonstrations in its history. Part of an immense worldwide anti-war outpouring, about 4 million people turned out.
Leaders of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) were among those at the head of these oceanic demonstrations, which directly targeted the conservative Spanish People鈥檚 Party (PP) government of then-prime minister Jos茅 Mar铆a Aznar.
At the June 8 ceremonial handing over of portfolio briefcases from outgoing conservative People鈥檚 Party (PP) ministers to their incoming Spanish Socialist Workers鈥 Party (PSOE) replacements, the contrasts were dramatic.
A bunch of reactionary lifetime political operators and religious obscurantists were replaced by what new Prime Minister Pedro S谩nchez boasted was the 鈥減rogressive鈥, 鈥渇eminist鈥 and 鈥淓uropeanist鈥 alternative.
The plan had seemed so well organised.
Its first stage was executed on October 1 last year when the ruling elite of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) got the party鈥檚 Federal Political Committee (FPC) to force the resignation of general secretary Pedro Sanchez.
In the end, on October 29, it all worked out rather well for Mariano Rajoy. After patiently implementing his motto that 鈥渁ll things come to he who waits鈥, the leader of the conservative People鈥檚 Party (PP) was that day confirmed as Spain鈥檚 prime minister for a second four-year term.
Normal operations were apparently resumed in the institutions of the Spanish state after 10 months of turmoil arising from the inconclusive general election results of December 20 and June 26.