#SPAIN: PM Sanchez Narrowly Pushes Thru First Vote

[world politics news]

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez barely managed to notch his first significant parliamentary vote since forming a new government, underscoring the challenges facing his coalition over the next four years.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SPAIN: Snap Vote On Sunday Will Decide If Socialist Stay In Power

[world politics news]

Madrid, Spain – Spanish voters will head to the polls next Sunday, deciding whether to keep Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s minority Socialist government in power, or give the mandate to the main right-wing Partido Popular [PP] party.

In almost all public opinion surveys, the PP are currently favourites to win Spain’s first general elections since 2019, brought forward by Sanchez after the Socialists’ stinging defeat in early May’s regional and local polls.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SPAIN: Popular Party Elects New Leader

[world politics news]

Alberto Núñez Feijóo, a centrist, was elected this past weekend as president of the conservative Spanish People's Party at the extraordinary congress held by the first opposition formation in Seville.

He was unopposed in his bid for the leadership of the party, which faces an uphill battle to regain power from Spain's Socialist Party.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SPAIN: Socialists Win Re-Election; Populist Vox Party Makes Huge Gains

[world politics news]

Spain’s ruling Socialist Party will announce its plan to break the political deadlock “as soon as possible” after winning the country’s fourth general election in as many years but once again failing to secure a majority.

In the poll on Sunday, the populist Vox Party moved into third place as the conservative People’s party (PP) rallied and the center-right Citizens party endured a humiliating collapse.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SPAIN: Francisco Franco Is Still Dead, But Spain's Socialist Gov't Has Exhumed And Reburied Him

[world politics news]

Cries of “long live Franco!” accompanied the coffin of Francisco Franco this past week as Spain removed the remains of its former dictator from the state mausoleum where he was buried in 1975.

His exhumation and reburial is the most significant move in years by Spanish authorities to lay the ghost of the general whose legacy still divides the country he dominated for nearly four decades.

The ruling Socialist Party, which faces a national election next month, has long sought to move Franco’s remains from the huge monument, built on his orders and containing the remains of combatants from both sides of the 1936-39 civil war.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SPAIN: Angry Words, Walk-Out, In Catalan Parliament Over Treatment Of Jailed Independence Activists

[world politics news]

A political debate inside the Catalan parliament descended into a tremendous row over the recent arrests of radical separatists who are facing terrorism charges that include possession of bomb-making materials.

At the most heated session in recent years, politicians supporting the region's independence from Spain led by regional premier Quim Torra began chanting “freedom,” alluding to the seven members of the Committees to Defend the Republic, a grassroots group that has carried out actions such as roadblocks to defend Catalan independence.

After separatism-supporting lawmakers expressed support for the suspects, Carlos Carrizosa, a representative of the non-separatist Ciudadanos (Citizens) Party was expelled from the chamber after repeatedly telling pro-independence parliamentarians that “we feel threatened by those who back terrorism.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SPAIN: Socialists Retain Power, But Rightist Vox Party Makes Huge Gains

[world politics news]

As expected, Spain's ruling socialist Party and its leader, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, won the most seats in the country's parliamentary election Sunday but must seek support from smaller parties in order to stay in power, which they expected to do, easily.

The election's real story is the anti-migrant right-leaning Vox Party was set to enter the lower house of Parliament for the first time with about 10% of the vote, which Will give it 24 seats.

The new nationalist party burst onto the scene this year, dramatically increasing its vote over the previous election's tally. In 2016, 47,182 people voted for Vox. In 2019, the figure increased to 2,673,828.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SPAIN: PM Sanchez Calls For Snap Election In April After Budget Fails In Parliament; Third Election In Four Years

[world politics news]

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday called an early general election for April 28, the third in less than four years, after his draft budget was rejected in parliament. The Socialist Party leader took power just over eight months ago after he ousted his conservative rival in a dramatic parliamentary no-confidence vote, but it has been a turbulent term.

At the head of a fragile minority government, the 46-year-old had to rely on the support of unlikely bedfellows in parliament, including the far-left Podemos party, Basque nationalist lawmakers and crucially, 17 Catalan separatist MPs. They withdrew their backing of the government, and voted against the budget, to protest separatist leaders being put on trial for their role in a 2017 attempt to break Catalonia from Spain.

The campaign is set to begin April 13.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SPAIN: Conservatives Take Control Of Andalusia, Formerly A Solid Bastion Of Socialism

[world politics news]

With the backing of the right-leaning Vox Party and center-right Ciudadanos Party, the candidate of Spain's mainstream conservative Popular Party, Juan Manuel Moreno, was invested as the head of the regional government in Andalusia, a former Socialist bastion.The Socialists had ruled Andalusia in the country's deep south for 36 years before last month's regional elections tipped the balance rightwards. 

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SPAIN: Far-Left Podemos Party Faces Top-Level Power Struggle; Co-Founder Quits Parliament

[world politics news]

A rift at the top of Spain's far-left Podemos threatens to further erode the influence of the party that once terrorized the establishment. Leader Pablo Iglesias and co-founder Íñigo Errejon spent Podemos' fifth birthday earlier this month engaged in a power struggle, leading to Errejon giving up his seat in parliament Monday, The party - a key ally of the ruling Socialist Party - has descended into disarray before May's national election.

Pictured: Podemos Leader Pablo Iglesias, right, and co-founder Íñigo Errejón

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SPAIN: Populist, Anti-Migration "Vox" Party Wins 12 Seats In Andalucia, Alarming Spain's Left

[world politics news]

The populist, anti-migration Vox Party took 12 seats in the Andalucían regional election Sunday, alarming Spain's Left. The small, increasingly vocal party, which opposes Catalan independence and has vowed to crack down on immigration and abortion, exceeded all predictions and could now hold the key to the formation of the next government of the populous southern region, since the winning Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party did not win enough seats (30 of the 55 required) to form a majority in parliament, even in coalition with another party affiliated with the Left-leaning Podemos Party.

[FULL STORY HERE]

Pictured: Vox leader Santiago Abascal

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SPAIN: Gov't Announces Doubling Aid To UN Agency Helping Palestinians

[world politics news]

The Spanish government will double its humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, following the United States' decision to pull funds from the UN agency that allocates material assistance to five million Palestinians. The announcement came from Spanish Foreign Minister José Borrell at a press conference in Madrid with his Palestinian counterpart Riyad Maliki. Borrell said it is a, "symbolic gesture" because, "our contribution, going from one million to two million, is still very far from what the United States brought." Maliki said, "The United States have shown that they wish to be part of the problem, not the solution."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SPAIN: Gov't Under Fire For Border Fence Proposal After Violent Attack By Migrants Leaves Dozens Of Border Agents Injured

[world politics news]

Spain's Socialist government is under pressure to reverse its position on making border fences "safer" after a violent attack by hundreds of illegal migrants left border guards severely injured. Over 600 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa stormed the border in the region Ceuta. Dozens were injured as migrants bombarded agents with quicklime, sticks, stones, bags of excrement as well as aerosols used as flame throwers. Despite the attack, the Spanish government is sticking to its plans to remove the controversial razor-sharp blades on the border fences. The removal should be "immediate," said Home Secretary Fernando Grande-Marlaska.  Opposition parties say the Spanish immigrant reception system is facing collapse, given the sharp rise in numbers of refugees in recent months.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SPAIN: Newly Elected Leader Of Spanish Popular Party Calls Out Prime Minister's Call For "New Blood" With Migrants

[world politics news]

The recently-elected leader of Spain's Popular Party, Pablo Casado, has promised to "defend the borders” against the millions of undocumented migrants who want to enter Spain. This comes at a time when Spain's Socialist Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has openly welcomed migrants, saying they are "new blood" for a nation that isn't procreating. Casado accused Sánchez of incites more migrants to make the dangerous journey.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SPAIN: Two Women Get Into Race To Lead Popular Party In Opposition After Rajoy Resigns From Politics

[world politics news]

The race to lead Spain's graft-tainted conservative Popular Party gathered pace Tuesday, as two women who were heavyweight ministers in Mariano Rajoy's ousted government announced their candidacy. Former deputy prime minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, 47, and ex-defence minister Maria Dolores de Cospedal, 52, both threw their hats into the ring to replace Rajoy, who withdrew from politics after his government was toppled last month in a parliamentary confidence vote. Also running are former foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo, 73, and Pablo Casado, a 37-year-old party spokesman and rising star. The first round of voting will be held on July 5.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SPAIN: Culture And Sports Minister Maxim Huerta Resigns After Tax Fraud Fine Reveled

[world politics news]

Spain's culture and sports minister Maxim Huerta has resigned after it emerged he has been fined for tax fraud, in a blow to the Socialist government that took over only last week. Huerta, an award-winning author and television celebrity, evaded €218,322 ($256,462) in tax between 2006-2008 by using a shell company. A court last year ordered that he pay over €360,000 to the tax office -- the amount he tried to evade plus fines and interest payments, it added. 

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SPAIN: New Socialist Gov't Appoints Spain's First Astronaut As Science Minister

[world politics news]

Spain's first astronaut Pedro Duque is set to become minister of science by the new Socialist government. The 55-year-old aeronautical engineer became the first Spaniard to travel to space in 1998 when he took part in a nine-day mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery after training in Russia and the United States. He returned to space in 2003 as part of an International Space Station (ISS) mission.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SPAIN: PM Rajoy Ousted By No Confidence Vote; New Socialist PM Was Economics Professor

[world politics news]

Mariano Rajoy, once viewed as the great survivor of Spanish politics, has been ousted as prime minister in a vote of no confidence after several former members of his party were convicted of corruption in a case that proved to be one scandal too many. He will be replaced by Pedro Sánchez, the leader of Spain’s opposition socialist PSOE party, which tabled the motion to unseat him.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SPAIN: Catalan Gov't Seeking Replacement For President After Exiled Puigdmont Abandons Comeback Bid

[world politics news]

Catalan separatists have begun the challenging search for a new candidate to lead their region after deposed President Carles Puigdemont, in self-exile in Belgium and wanted in Spain, abandoned his comeback bid. Fears that  the presidency could become a "part-time" job has eliminated another popular contender for the job.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SPAIN: Scandal-Plagued Ruling Popular Party To Stand Trial For Alleged Evidence Destruction

[world politics news]

Spain's ruling Popular Party (PP) will stand trial for allegedly destroying laptops used by a former treasurer being tried over a suspected slush fund, a court ruling published on Friday said. It will be the first time that a political party goes on trial in the country.

[FULL STORY HERE]