If Pedro Sánchez refuses to call a snap election: the possible scenarios
The Ceuta and Valencia crises have reignited the debate: can Spain's prime minister avoid the ballot box? His arguments, EU pressure and the calendar.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Can Sánchez hold out without calling an election?
The Ceuta crisis and the reported abandonment of Valencia have pushed political tension to the limit. In this context, the question circulating insistently is whether Pedro Sánchez will call a snap election in Spain or let the legislature run its course. The government's argument, echoed by part of the political analysis, is that conditions are not right for a vote with society so polarised and judicial investigations still open. But seen from the other side, that is exactly the perfect excuse not to call one.
Some point out that a "full year" separates the country from the next electoral cycle, and that the prime minister could use the instability to entrench himself. Others see a more prosaic outcome: after Christmas, if street and Brussels pressure mounts, the electoral calendar would be brought forward through the back door. Comparisons with the past keep surfacing: the propaganda machine portraying Sánchez as a "tyrant on a God-like level" and the shadow of Franco looming over the debate.
By contrast, a minority argues that the only way forward is for the European Union to cut off the financial tap and force change. For now, the calendar remains sealed and the excuses are in perfect working order. The prime minister may be in no hurry; the question is whether the street and the courts will demand one.
The Ceuta crisis and the reported abandonment of Valencia have pushed political tension to the limit. In this context, the question circulating insistently is whether Pedro Sánchez will call a snap election in Spain or let the legislature run its course. The government's argument, echoed by part of the political analysis, is that conditions are not right for a vote with society so polarised and judicial investigations still open. But seen from the other side, that is exactly the perfect excuse not to call one.
Some point out that a "full year" separates the country from the next electoral cycle, and that the prime minister could use the instability to entrench himself. Others see a more prosaic outcome: after Christmas, if street and Brussels pressure mounts, the electoral calendar would be brought forward through the back door. Comparisons with the past keep surfacing: the propaganda machine portraying Sánchez as a "tyrant on a God-like level" and the shadow of Franco looming over the debate.
By contrast, a minority argues that the only way forward is for the European Union to cut off the financial tap and force change. For now, the calendar remains sealed and the excuses are in perfect working order. The prime minister may be in no hurry; the question is whether the street and the courts will demand one.
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (19 replies).
More summaries
-
Sánchez Faces Lawsuit Over DANA: Legal Hurdles Ahead
A lawsuit against Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez regarding the DANA floods clashes with force majeure defenses and lack of criminal liability.
-
Protests in Ceuta: demonstrators demand Sánchez's resignation after his visit
Pedro Sánchez's visit to Ceuta, the Spanish enclave in North Africa, has drawn accusations of treason and of a Moroccan invasion. Some are calling for his immediate resignation.
-
Vox seeks to invoke Article 102 to investigate Spain's Sánchez for treason
Vox will push to activate Article 102 to investigate Sánchez for alleged treason after the Ceuta crisis. The move requires an absolute majority in Congress.
-
Satire Claims Ayuso Hears 7,291 Ghost Voices, Seeks Iker Jiménez
A satirical story attributes 7,291 paranormal voices and six years of insomnia to Madrid's Isabel Díaz Ayuso, leading her to consult TV presenter Iker Jiménez.
-
Sánchez, Spain's worst prime minister? The figure that unsettles
Vote-rigging, deals with separatists, dirty-war tactics and eight years without a budget: the record of Spain's Pedro Sánchez divides those who call him the country's worst leader.
-
Patxi López to Vito Quiles: 'Your cousin pays for my glasses'
Patxi López hits back at Vito Quiles over who pays for his glasses, reviving criticism of his political career and the 2011 cuts to vocational training grants in the Basque Country.