The first victim of Spain’s anticipation of parliamentary elections is Ciudadanos, which confirmed it will not go to the polls on July 23 – after consecutive poor election results for the centrist party that once became the third largest in the country. On the left of the socialists, and with a few days to reach an agreement with Podemos, Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz’s Sumar Movement was created as a party to promote the participation of independents in the project and the union of the progressive camp.
“The message of the elections was very clear. The offer from the liberal center in Spain was not strong”Ciudadanos’ current secretary general, Adrián Vázquez, said after the national leadership meeting. “We came to the conclusion that the Spaniards do not see us as a good transformational alternative. It is not good news for us”he added, saying staying out of the next election cycle will allow the party – which has not yet dissolved – to prepare “for the new political scenario”.
Ciudadanos, the third most voted party in the 2019 municipal elections, did not exceed 1.35% on Sunday. A result that confirmed the legislature’s defeat of November 2019, in which it had gone from 15.9% and 57 elected deputies seven months earlier (the best result) to 6.8% and 10 deputies. This fall led to the departure of its leader, Albert Rivera, and the party was unable to renew itself under the leadership of Inés Arrimadas – who had won in Catalonia in 2017, but without a majority to overthrow pro-independence supporters. A large national party meeting will decide on the future in July.
People’s Party (PP) leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo thanked the gesture before it was taken and defended that it would be the best solution. “It would be an exercise in maturity and responsibility,” he said. “We cannot allow a few votes to be lost and not translated into seats and prevent majorities from governing a reformist party like the PP.” And he left an invitation for Ciudadan’s voters: “This reform house is yours forever.” The PP had already “swallowed” some of the names associated with Ciudadanos and was growing in the municipalities, thanks in part to voters from the center party.
At the PP leadership meeting, Feijóo gave the freedom to the party’s “barons” whether or not to negotiate with the far right of Vox, from Santiago Abascal. The PP had a great result, but only two absolute majorities, and needed agreements to guarantee investments in the Valencian Community, Aragon, Murcia, Baleares or Extremadura. In the latter case, the current president, the socialist Guillermo Fernández Vara, was the winner, with the same number of regional deputies as the PP but no chance of a left-wing majority. Despite initially saying he was giving up politics, he went back yesterday and is going to try for the inauguration.
But even before negotiating with Vox, there are PP “barons” willing to go to the inauguration without a majority, forcing Abascal’s party to vote “no.” A strong position in front of lawmakers, taking away arguments from Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who hopes to campaign by warning of the risk of agreements on the right.
Abstract Movement
Meanwhile, Yolanda Díaz made official the creation of the Sumar movement, an “instrumental party” that should be “the heart of the project”, which aims to gather around itself everything that is on the left of the socialists. The creation of the party allows inclusion in independent lists and facilitates coalitions with other forces.
This is the case of Esquerda Unida, the other side of Unidas-Podemos, who was the first to officially join Sumar’s candidacy. “They are the best chance to offer this country’s project and win the legislature,” said the formation led by Alberto Garzón. “Not a Minute to Lose”, added in a statement on Twitter. Equo Greens and the Green Alliance have also taken the same step.
Meanwhile, negotiations with Podemos by the Minister of Social Rights, Ione Belarra, continue. The tight deadlines – the coalition must be made official on June 9 – complicate the idea of primaries, Podemos argued. The other political forces’ quick support for Díaz also serves to further pressure Podemos to concede.
Calendar
June 9 Deadline for presentation of alliances and coalitions.
June 14 to 19 Presentation of the candidacies, which will be announced on the 21st and published in the Official Gazette on the 27th.
July 7 to 21 Election campaign.
July 13 Deadline for requesting mail-in voting, with voters being able to vote that way no later than July 20.
23 of July Legislative elections.
August 17 Deadline for Congress and Senate to take office.
Two months Deadline for Congress to elect the head of government after taking office. If not, you have to go to the ballot box again.
Source: DN
