Basque Nationalist Party

What's happening in Spain after the general election (and what it means for the presidency of the Council of the EU)

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
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The election was called early.

Key Points: 
  • The election was called early.
  • At the same time, the polls saw the Socialist Party (PSOE) and Sumar (a grand coalition of left-wing parties) losing votes.

Seat mathematics

    • In the Spanish parliamentary system the election of the prime minister takes place in the 350-seat Congress of Deputies.
    • The PP, the winner of the elections, has won 136 seats and Vox 33, totalling 169 between them.
    • In other words, the PSOE and its partners are a little closer to forming a government than the PP.

What happened?

    • Only the public polls of the CIS (Sociological National Research Agency) showed the PSOE as the winner.
    • An important structural element is the will consolidated in the 1978 Spanish Constitution for all regions to be represented in Congress.
    • The results were therefore skewed by the absence of votes from the Basque Country, Catalonia and Andalusia, among others.
    • The electorate also appears to have been unclear about what the limits of a PP pact with Vox would be.

What happens now?

    • If its candidate gets enough support in a first vote (absolute majority), the king will name a prime minister.
    • If not, 48 hours later another vote will be held in which a simple majority will be sought.
    • Currently, PP is asking PSOE to reach an agreement with it and allow Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of PP, to become prime minister.

The EU Council presidency

    • From 1 July until 31 December, Spain holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union.
    • EU institutions are used to changes of government, as they are in an eternal electoral cycle in the member states.
    • Amid a possible deadlock in Spain and an end-of-year general election, Pedro Sanchez would lead Spain for almost the entirety of its presidency of the council.