Snap election looms after Spanish budget rejected
Print Edition
Spain鈥檚 parliament rejected the government鈥檚 2019 draft budget, pushing the country to the brink of a national election.
Sources in the government and the Socialist party of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said before the vote he would call a snap election if the draft was rejected, with April 14 or April 28 the most likely dates.
The Socialists hold less than a quarter of the seats in parliament and needed support from smaller regional parties, including the Catalans, to get the budget proposal voted through.
But the Catalan parties, unhappy with the government鈥檚 refusal to consider or discuss 鈥 amongst other issues 颅鈥 an independence referendum for their northeastern region, voted against it, as did the center-right and the conservatives.
鈥淭his shows that the right wing in this country is intent on blocking social progress,鈥 Budget Minister Maria Jesus Montero told reporters, in the government鈥檚 first reaction to the vote.
In all, 191 lawmakers voted against the budget and 158 in favor, with one abstention.
Conservative People鈥檚 Party leader Pablo Casado called the outcome 鈥渁 de facto confidence vote against Pedro Sanchez.鈥
Spanish stocks edged lower and Spain鈥檚 IBEX was the only major eurozone equity index in negative territory.
The political sources said yesterday it was not clear yet when the election would be announced. But they also said Sanchez wanted a ballot as soon as possible to mobilze left-leaning voters following a rally in Madrid on Sunday by three right-wing parties, including the far-right Vox.
Vox has jumped in opinion polls with a rise in anti-Catalan feelings throughout the nation.
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