With the support of the Catalan independence movement, Francina Armengol obtained 178 votes, two above the absolute majority, which increases the possibility that Sanchez also has that support.
The Spanish Congress of Deputies that emerged from the last elections was installed this Thursday and chose a socialist to preside over it thanks to the support of Catalan independentistas, which increases the possibility that the acting president of the Government, also a socialist Pedro Sanchez, be reelected at the head of another progressive coalition.
Catalan-speaking Francina Armengol, 52, obtained the votes of 178 deputies, two above the absolute majority, including that of the Legislators from Together for Catalonia (JxC), the formation of Carles Puigdemont that represents the hard wing of the Catalan independence movement.
Armengol, who was regional president of the Balearic Islands region, culturally very close to Catalonia. she defeated Cuca Gamarra, the candidate of the right-wing Popular Party (PP), which deals a heavy blow to the intentions of its leader, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, to be sworn in as Prime Minister.
You begin the rounds of consultations with the King
With Congress already installed, the next stage in the process of forming an Executive will come when King Felipe VI, the Spanish head of state, nominate a candidate for president or head of government, which will be proposed by the new president of the Chamber of Deputies, that is, by Armengol.
the PP He was the most voted in the general elections from July 23, but does not reach an absolute majority of 176 of the 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies -the lower house of Parliament, which is the one that will elect the future Prime Minister-, not even with the seats of his allies from the far-right party Vox.
Sanchez’s PSOE and his allies in the leftist coalition Sumar They did not achieve that number of seats in the elections either, but they have arithmetic chances of reaching the investiture allies with the independence forces.
To be elected president of the Government, the nominee must obtain an absolute majority in a first vote in the Chamber of Deputies or a simple majority in a second ballot 48 hours later.
If no one gets the necessary support, Spain must repeat the elections within the following six months.
The support of the independentistas of Puigdemont, a refugee in Belgium since 2017 and claimed by the Spanish Justice, occurred after an agreement promoted by Sanchez who foresees that Catalan and the other Spanish languages can be used in the Congress of the Deputies.
It also considers that Spain tries to make these languages work in the European Union (EU), and the creation of a commission of inquiry on the alleged espionage of Catalan separatists by the Spanish intelligence services.
Furthermore, the agreement contemplates creating a commission of investigation into the jihadist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils in 2017, which will be six years old this Thursday, because the independentists suspect the State.
A key vote
The election of the new president of Congress it was highly anticipatednot so much because this position represents the third authority in the country, but because its result will give a clear indication of whether Sanchez will be re-elected in the investiture vote, which could take place end of august or beginning of september.
JxC explained that this agreement must be met to address the investiture of Sanchezthat need all seven votes of the Catalan party to be invested.
Facing an investiture session, the two blocs, on the one hand that of the outgoing left-wing government, and, on the other, that of the right and the extreme right, seem to be able to count on the support of 171 deputies each. .
In addition to the seven JxC deputies, the only deputy from a regional party from the Canary Islands they will be decisive.
This unexpected situation gives prominence to JxC, that it is up to him to decide if Sanchez continues to lead Spain or, if not, if the country will have to hold new elections in the coming months. It is practically ruled out that JxC give their votes to the PP.
Agencies
Source: Clarin
