Spain has done the seemingly impossible and secured a four-month deadlock by successfully electing Pedro Sanchez as the prime minister for a second term.
The political deadlock began in December 2019, when Sanchez won re-election but without enough electoral support to form a majority government. This left the country in a state of flux as a long-standing stalemate ensued. Since then, a series of negotiations and meetings between parties, to no avail.
But, last week Sanchez secured the 180 votes he needed to form a coalition government with the far-left United We Can party and the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV). This effectively ends a period of political gridlock that has stalled much of the country’s political progress.
The re-election of Sanchez is a historic win for Spain’s socialist-led government which announced its ambitious 100-day plan that emphasizes job creation, social justice, and sustainable economic growth as the top priorities.
The coalition government is also likely to usher in far-reaching changes related to the environment, health care, and taxes – with progressive policies that should be welcome news for those who have felt disenfranchised by the current political system.
Ultimately, the successful formation of a government in Spain marks a new chapter for the country that had been in a seemingly unrecoverable political stalemate. The success of Sanchez’s coalition reveals that when parties work together, solutions can be found. It’s a hopeful sign of positive progress that bodes well for the future of politics in Spain and beyond.