BREAKING: Pedro Sanchez calls general election for July 23

With Spanish regional and municipal elections, May 28, strongly favouring the opposition parties, Prime Minister Sanchez has called an early general election as the left-wing coalition prepare to fight for their position. 

20 Minutos posted a video of Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez on Twitter saying: “Breaking news: Sanchez brings forward the general elections to 23 July after the PSOE’s debacle in the municipal and regional elections.”

📢 #ÚltimaHora | Sánchez adelanta las elecciones generales para el próximo 23 de julio tras la debacle del PSOE en las municipales y autonómicas https://t.co/m4dZRRNHKX pic.twitter.com/MDWRbXAZlR

— 20minutos.es (@20m) May 29, 2023

Sanchez believes that the time is due to let the Spaniards have their say, as he himself was not elected by the Spanish people. He had in fact come from a more administrative role in the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) where he had been Secretary-General.

He only became leader to try and fight the threat of the left-wing opposition Podemos party, with whom he is now in the coalition.

He replaced Mariano Rajoy when he was ousted via a vote of no confidence in 2018. Rajoy subsequently stepped down as leader of the conservative People’s Party (PP) but the PP have become resurgent in last weekend’s local elections.

Sanchez – who when taking office vowed that the democratic choice of national leader would be put back to the Spanish people without stating a timeline – had the option to wait until December to call a general election.

It would appear though, with an apparent lack of faith in the current government, the time is ripe to put the decision of national governance back to the Spanish people. July 23, could see a wholesale change of direction in Spanish politics.