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Protests led by right-wing groups against Spain’s acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez have escalated in violence, underscoring the tensions surrounding his push for a contentious amnesty law. Approximately 7,000 demonstrators converged outside the headquarters of Sánchez’s Socialist party in Madrid on Tuesday. The Prime Minister is striving to secure an investiture vote that would enable him to form a new government and avert a potential snap election.

To attain parliamentary support, Sánchez must enlist the backing of Catalan separatists. The demonstrations in Madrid, along with other cities, have grown increasingly aggressive, with 29 police officers and 10 protestors sustaining injuries during Tuesday night’s clashes. Sánchez took to social media to assert, “They will not break the Socialist Party.”

Following the failure of the conservative People’s Party (PP) leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo to establish a government in September, Sánchez, who came second in the July general election, is on the verge of securing adequate parliamentary support for a coalition government with the left-wing alliance Sumar.

To gain the support of Catalan parties, Sánchez has agreed to an amnesty for several hundred Catalan politicians and activists facing legal action related to the failed secession attempt in 2017. This move has faced intense criticism, with opponents accusing Sánchez of jeopardizing Spain’s unity and manipulating the amnesty for political survival.

The opposition, particularly the far-right Vox party, has vehemently opposed the amnesty, calling for continued protests and urging the police to defy ‘illegal’ orders. Despite internal support within the Socialist Party, several senior members, including former Prime Minister Felipe González, have spoken out against the initiative, emphasizing its potential to disrupt social harmony in Spain. A division has also emerged within the judiciary, reflecting the deep political polarization over the amnesty.

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Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the leader of Spain’s opposition conservative party, claimed victory in a snap election but fell short of the desired result as his Popular Party (PP) failed to secure a majority in parliament, even with the support of the far right. Meanwhile, the rival Socialist camp, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, celebrated as well. The inconclusive outcome leaves Spain facing uncertainty.

Despite the victory claim, Mr. Feijóo’s PP and Vox, the far-right party, together would still be seven seats short of an absolute majority of 176 in parliament, making another election likely towards the end of the year. Pedro Sánchez’s Socialists and their far-left allies appeared pleased with the result, as they criticized the “reactionary bloc” for opposing progress made in the past four years, particularly on issues such as sexual consent, abortion, and transgender rights.

The election turnout was high, with 70% of voters participating, partly due to almost 2.5 million postal votes being cast. Vox remained the third-largest party but experienced a drop in seat numbers, while the newly enfranchised young voters also played a significant role in the election.

Vox leader Santiago Abascal did not show signs of celebration, as his party viewed the election as a stepping stone to a potential “second round” by Christmas, aiming to gain further support for their anti-immigration and anti-feminism platform.

Overall, the outcome of the election left both major parties claiming some level of success, but Spain remains in a state of uncertainty as forming a government will be challenging without a clear majority in parliament.

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News Politics

The fourth election in Spain in less than four yours has also contributed the crisis of political deadlock, like what it contributed in the past three occasions.

This time also, making the situation bad to worse, no political party has gained a clear majority in the Spanish parliament.

The Spanish parliament has nearly 350 seats. So, for a simple majority at least 176 seats is needed.

In the latest election, the ruling PSOE (socialists) has gained around 120 seats – which is at least three seats less than what it wristed in the previous election.

Meanwhile, the rightist political parties like the PP and the Vox have made major gains in the election.

The PP has increased its seat count to around 88 from less than 66, and the Vox to 52 from 24. As what can be clearly read from the data, the far-rightist Vox is the one that has made the biggest gain.

In the previous time, the socialists failed to find a supporter for its government. When it called for a snap election, its expectation was that it would be able to gain a clear majority this time.

What the election result tells is a different story. The result shows the decreasing popularity of the socialists and the increasing popularity of the rightists.

A political expert says that it is not wise to lose this chance. He adds that if the leftists lose this chance, they may not be able to come to power in the country anything in the near future.

The Spain election result has a message for the entire Europe. In Europe, the political left and the political liberal are shrinking. What that is occupying that space is the political right – sadly, the political far-right.

Unlike others, the political far-right is not easy to deal with. It is not clear whether the political left and the political liberal know how to deal with that front rightly.


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