Former ABC editor sparks January election rumors that quickly collapse

Former ABC editor stirs up January election rumors that no one believes

A former editor of ABC newspaper assured listeners that "I am breaking the news: there will be elections in January." He made this claim on COPE radio with the solemnity of someone holding official documents, yet the reaction was not what he expected. Instead of igniting public outrage, the assertion unraveled within minutes. The Spanish electoral calendar has strict rules, and these cannot be bent simply because a pundit claims his source is "very reliable." Moreover, the date does not align with reality: considering legal notice periods, polling station setup, and ballot printing, January is practically around the corner.

The striking aspect is not the announcement itself, but the silence surrounding it. There was no official statement, no leak, and no movement in the BOE (Official State Gazette). It was just a sentence uttered in a studio, while the audience did the math instead of applauding.

How much time is needed to call elections for January?

The short answer: more time than remains. The Spanish electoral procedure requires **55 days**' notice from the dissolution of the Cortes Generales (Spanish Parliament) to voting day. If such an announcement were made now, already in the final stretch of the year, the election would inevitably fall in mid-January or later. This assumes the administrative machinery—census, polling stations, ballots, campaign logistics—would start operating immediately, which is not happening.

Some point out another detail: if the election falls on a weekday, voter turnout suffers. Young people and university students during exam season would likely stay home. This calculation is significant if the goal is to mobilize a specific electorate.

The underlying issue: why would Pedro Sánchez want elections?

Here, the analysis becomes more interesting than the date. The question is not whether there will be elections in January, but why the Prime Minister would call them now. The prevailing view is that it does not suit him. With the amnesty law pending a ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union and the general budgets still unsubmitted, the scenario does not invite any dissolution. In fact, both the Vice President and Sánchez himself have hinted that the budgets will go to parliament in February, distancing any possibility of an early dissolution.

The pessimistic calculation suggests that if the budgets fail to pass, the excuse for dissolution is ready. The optimistic view holds that Sánchez will hold out until 2027, when general elections coincide with municipal and regional ones. In between, one certainty remains: **Sánchez will call elections when it suits him, and right now, it does not.**

PSOE's weariness and the ghost of third place

The numbers do not support the official narrative. Sánchez's best electoral result is **123 seats**, a figure equal to Mariano Rajoy's worst performance and well above Rubalcaba's 110, but far from the majorities PSOE enjoyed in other eras. Some argue those 123 seats cannot be repeated even with manipulation, and that the party risks becoming the third political force if the right mobilizes.

An alternative reading is that PSOE relies on the opposition lacking a strong candidate. Feijóo has not fully convinced his base, and right-wing voters are wary of alternatives that do not promise radical change. The result is a technical tie where no one wins and everyone waits.

Hoaxes as political weapons: who leaks and why

The lingering question is who benefits from this announcement. Some suggest a disinformation campaign from within the media ecosystem itself: throw the stone and hide the hand. A former editor of a conservative outlet announces elections on a sympathetic radio station without providing a single piece of evidence, generating noise that wears down the Government and the publishing medium. Journalist Bieito Rubido later insisted his source was "very reliable," but provided no name or document.

The pattern is familiar: the news becomes a talking point, the date disproves itself, and the damage is done. Meanwhile, the public waits for someone to actually make a move.

What really matters: budgets and judicial calendar

Beyond the electoral noise, the real timeline is set by two factors: the budgets and the courts. If the Government manages to pass the accounts, the legislature extends. If not, dissolution is an option, but not necessarily in January. And if the CJEU validates the amnesty, the political landscape reorders completely.

No one has a crystal ball. The only certainty is that **January elections do not depend on a pundit**, but on a decision that, as of today, no one has made. In politics, that is the closest thing to a "no."

---

The confusing data point: while debate rages over whether there will be elections in January, the Government has already stated it will present the budgets in February. If that is true, calling elections is not even on the table.