Spain’s Acting PM Says He Will Seek Investiture Vote

Spain’s Acting Prime Minister,  Pedro Sanchez has said he intended to seek the support of the lower house to form a new Government after an inconclusive election on July 23.

“I will ask for Parliament’s confidence to form a progressive Government,” Sanchez said in an address to the Legislators of his Socialist Party (PSOE).

He said his Party, which won the second-highest number of seats in the general election held last month, will first seek to clinch the Lower House Speaker position on Thursday.

Spain’s election in July produced no outright winner, with the conservative People’s Party (PP) gaining the most seats but falling short of a majority.

Both the PP and PSOE have since begun negotiating with smaller parties to court their votes in Parliament to form a Government.

Sanchez, who first took power in 2018, has ruled since early 2020.

He did not say on Wednesday who his coalition partners would be, but has previously said he intends to ally with far-left alliance, Sumar that includes Podemos.

Sanchez’s PSOE, which together with Sumar has 152 seats, will need the 14 parliamentary votes of Catalan separatist parties Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) and the more hardline Junts to win an investiture vote in the 350-seat Parliament.

REUTERS