Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Spain and the inconclusive election


 (My new American Thinker post)

Thumbs up for our system.  At least the winner here gets to form a government quickly. 
 
Over in Spain, they had an election and people wonder what the point of it was. 
 
Who won?  So far no one really knows.
 
This is the story:     
 
Spain was plunged into political uncertainty Monday a day after Alberto Núñez Feijóo's conservative Popular Party narrowly won the country's national election but without securing the parliamentary majority needed to topple the five-year-old coalition government of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
 
The result means Feijóo can't claim outright victory, though he told his supporters he would try to form a government. That process is likely to take weeks or even months as Sánchez may also be able to secure support from smaller parties to form a governing coalition. A new election could also be called.
 
 
 
What a mess or, this is something like what happened in Canada, when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was returned to power by cutting a deal with a small party.     
 
In other words, PM Sanchez could stay in power by cutting a deal with some of the other parties.  It could happen if PM Sanchez is supported by Junts, a Catalan pro-independence party.
 
Frankly, I'm disappointed because what we heard from friends is that the vote would be a referendum on jobs. the economy, inflation and a Spanish version of "malaise."     
 
It probably was but not enough to form a parliamentary majority.
 
So check the news because the election is over but forming a government is not.