On July 10, in the first debate of the Spanish national elections campaign, the president of the Popular Party (PP) and opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo committed to enabling four more years of a government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, should the Socialists win a majority in the July 23 vote.
Feijóo made the offer 40 minutes into the debate when Sánchez accused him of denying gender-based violence and LGTBQI+ rights, citing the PP’s regional agreements with the Conservative party Vox.
Feijóo, in response, blamed Sánchez for liberating more than 100 convicted rapists after a legal miscalculation resulting from one of the government’s failed gender laws.
As the talks turned more vitriolic, Sánchez claimed Feijóo intended to build a national coalition government with Vox and its president Santiago Abascal.
Surprising many, and apparently in a bid to assuage fears that he would replicate his agreements with Vox on a national scale, Feijóo then pledged to help if Sanchez’s party secures the largest number of seats in the Spanish Congress.
“I brought an agreement to solve and to clarify this matter”, Feijóo said defiantly. “You said moments ago that you will win the election … Mr. Sánchez, I can commit to facilitate your investiture as Prime Minister…”
He propuesto a Pedro Sánchez un acuerdo para que ambos nos comprometamos a dejar gobernar a quien gane las elecciones.
Sabe que no puede aceptarlo. Solo puede gobernar con sus socios.#CaraACaraAtresmedia#23J pic.twitter.com/9f8clkV6gG
— Alberto Núñez Feijóo (@NunezFeijoo) July 10, 2023
As Sanchez tried to bring the conversation back to gender violence, Feijóo pressed on, saying: “If you win the elections, I will facilitate your government. Will you do the same if I win?
“Let’s have this agreement. I will sign it right now in front of all Spaniards,” he challenged Sanchez. The Prime Minister did not accept Feijóo’s proposal.
After the Spanish May 28 regional and local elections, Feijóo has tried to follow “the most voted list” policy. That is, the party with the most votes should govern regardless of the majorities it or others could build to form coalition governments.
After weeks of negotiations with Vox, Feijóo made an exception to this self-imposed rule in the south-western Spanish region of Extremadura, where he agreed that the PP would govern alongside Vox, despite PSOE’s overall victory.
When pressed on Abascal’s potential role in a Feijóo-led government, the leader of the opposition said he hoped to govern alone.
He said he was confident the PP would hit the 176-seat absolute majority in parliament to secure an investiture for himself, although polls suggest he would need Abascal’s support.
