Spain’s socialist Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, managed to secure a second term in office and a hard-earned victory for the governing left on Tuesday following an historic period of political deadlock that lasted for over four months.
The victory comes after tens of thousands of a people took to the streets in cities throughout Spain in support of Sanchez’s Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), and the regional coalition parties in the country.
The victory signals a major shift in the political landscape of Spain, with the appointment of Sanchez being the first left-wing government since Spain was a dictatorship from the late 1970’s until the early 1980s. Sanchez was widely seen as the most likely person to take the helm and he has since relied heavily on regional leftist parties to pass legislation.
Sanchez’s first term in office was a turbulent one, with his administration suffering numerous political battles and several deadly attacks throughout the course of his time in office. He has also faced criticism over the handling of the Catalonia independence crisis and the 2019 general election, which – due to a lack of majority win – resulted in a four-month government impasse.
The new term ends this period of political deadlock and paves the way for Sanchez to form a proper government, which is expected to be made up of Sanchez’s PSOE, together with the regional leftist coalition parties and some members of the center-right Party of the People’s Unity (Ciudadanos).
The new government is likely to have a different approach to issues such as the Catalonia crisis, as well as other domestic and foreign policy initiatives. It will also be important to watch the tactics of the opposing parties who will be more vocal in challenging the Sanchez administrations policies.
The end of the deadlock marks a key milestone for Spain and it could be the beginning of an interesting new era in Spanish politics. What remains to be seen is how the new government will respond to the various challenges that it will face, and how it can bring stability and unity to Spain after such a long period of political deadlock.
