The leader of the Spanish right, Alberto Nuñez Feijóo, saw, on Friday September 20, the majority of deputies once again reject his candidacy for the post of Prime Minister during a second investiture vote.
This expected failure opens the way for a candidacy by the outgoing head of government, the socialist Pedro Sanchez, who will have to obtain the crucial support of the Catalan separatists for this.
As expected, Mr. Feijóo, the leader of the Popular Party, who came first in the legislative elections on July 23 but without a viable majority, failed this week to be installed as Prime Minister by the deputies. After a first setback on Wednesday, the conservative lost a second vote on Friday where only a relative majority was enough for him.
Obtaining 172 votes out of 350 – those of the PP, the far right and two small parties – he saw his candidacy rejected by 177 other deputies, members of the Socialist Party, the far left and regionalist parties.
One vote had to be counted as invalid, an MP opposed to the Conservative having voted for him by mistake before retracting.
With Mr. Feijoo defeated, the outgoing socialist Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, will soon be tasked by the King of Spain, Felipe VI, with trying to form a majority before November 27. Otherwise, a new vote will automatically be called for mid-January.
