Spain’s acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is set to win a third term on the back of a fragile alliance and with the opposition stronger than ever.
Seven parties have pledged to support Sanchez’s Socialists in his bid Thursday, which would hand him a 179-seat majority in the 350-strong parliament including a mix of far-left groups, pro-business parties and secessionists. Sanchez has sought to portray himself as a bulwark against the far-right.
During a new term Sanchez will seek to pass a barrage of self-proclaimed progressive measures including higher taxes on the rich, increased maternity and paternity benefits, and mortgage aide for low-owners, he said Wednesday.
Sanchez also said he will seek to further defuse tensions in Catalonia, referencing the deal to pass an amnesty for hundreds of pro-independence activists facing criminal charges for their involvement in the coastal region’s 2017 attempt to break away from Spain.
The amnesty was passed in exchange for the support of seven Catalan secessionist lawmakers, and has drawn the wrath of the right. Alberto Nunez Feijoo, leader of the conservative People’s Party, said Wednesday that the amnesty divides Spain and goes against the equality of all Spaniards, adding that Spaniards shouldn’t apologize to Catalan secessionists.
Feijoo is set to lead the strongest opposition since the return of Spain’s democracy in 1978, with the PP and its far-right ally Vox controlling the Senate, most of the regional governments and a vast amount of Spain’s largest cities.
In his speech Wednesday, Sanchez pledged to cut value added taxes on food until June, make public transport free for young people and the unemployed, and continue to link pension hikes to inflation.
For Sanchez, a new term would represent the latest victory in a career marked by a series of comebacks from apparently hopeless positions.
In July, the 51-year-old Madrid native headed into a general election with most polls predicting a win for Feijoo.
But the ballot proved inconclusive, and Feijoo found himself four lawmakers short of a majority. Sanchez has spent the past two months stitching together a coalition of eight parties that will allow him to remain in the government residence at Moncloa.
The political cost of his alliances could yet be brutal. In exchange for the seven crucial votes of Catalan separatist party Junts, Sanchez agreed on the amnesty. The right has been staging protests for more than a week, and drawn stinging criticism from judges and business lobbies among others.
Critics accuse Sanchez of being a traitor to Spain. They say he is selling out the country for a handful of votes, his deal is unconstitutional and that he is trampling on the rule of law.
Sanchez dismissed criticism Wednesday and said “the amnesty we propose is perfectly legal and in line with the Constitution.” He also said the amnesty is a way to “defend harmony among Spaniards.”
--With assistance from Thomas Hall.
