Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez calls snap elections on 23 July

A day after his Socialists party suffered a major setback in local and regional polls, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday called a surprise 23 July snap election.

In a televised address, Sanchez said he had informed King Felipe VI of his decision to dissolve parliament and “call a general election”.

“I have taken this decision in light of the results of yesterday’s elections,” he said.

“As the head of the government and of the Socialist party, I take responsibility for the results and I think it is necessary to respond and submit our democratic mandate to the popular will.”

The polls will come shortly after Spain takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union on 1 July.

Sanchez’s Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and its junior ally Podemos lost ground during the regional elections held on Sunday, while Alberto Nunez Feijoo’s conservative People’s Party, joined in some places by the far-right Vox, was set to control eight of the 12 regions up for grabs in the weekend ballot, including the bellwethers Madrid and Valencia.

Historically, the party that comes on top in the local election tends to win the national vote.

In office since 2018, Sanchez has faced several obstacles: voter fatigue with his left-wing government, soaring inflation and falling purchasing power in the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy.

He has struggled to contain the fallout from repeated crises between the Socialists and their hard-left coalition partner Podemos.

Sanchez had previously said he would complete his four-year team, suggesting that polls would be held in December.

With inputs from agencies

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