Spain’s Elections and the Rule of Law

Nino Tsereteli

21.07.2023

The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez called a snap parliamentary election scheduled for Sunday, 23 July after his socialist party (PSOE) suffered a setback in local elections held in May. The announcement of the vote by Sánchez came as a surprise, given that his main rival, the conservative Partido Popular (PP), had just won an election and was polling ahead. At 34%, the PP, led by Alberto Nuñez Feijóo, continues to poll ahead of Pedro Sánchez’s PSOE, that is predicted to get 28% of the vote. Additionally, the far-right party Vox led by Santiago Abascal and a left-wing coalition Sumar led by Yolanda Díaz are polling around 13 % each.

Neither the PP nor the Socialists are expected to get enough votes to govern alone. Consequently, the conservatives might seek the support of Vox, while the Socialists will turn to Sumar. The likelihood of a PP-Vox alliance in forming the government has raised concerns due to Vox’s controversial stance on LGBT and gender issues, as well as its anti-immigration position. Such an alliance could potentially undermine the rule of law situation in Spain, as Vox advocates policies that are at odds with the protection of minorities and the principles of the rule of law. Regardless of the election outcome, independent institutions tasked with constraining and overseeing the government will remain crucial in countering any potential arbitrariness and abuse of power by the government.

https://democracy-reporting.org/en/office/EU/publications/spains-elections-and-the-rule-of-law