Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish Prime Minister, and candidate of the Socialist Party (PSOE), has won the general elections on July 23, 2023. Despite constant attacks from the opposition and the media, Sanchez has managed to strengthen his party. Right-wing parties, including the People’s Party (PP) and Vox, as well as some dissident socialists, have demonized Sanchez by questioning the legitimacy of his government. The attacks have mainly focused on Sanchez’s alliances, especially with the radical left party Unidas Podemos and the Catalan separatists of the Republican Left of Catalonia. Despite this, the PSOE gained two seats and 900,000 votes in the elections, with a total of 7.8 million votes.
The PSOE came in second place, behind the PP, but Sanchez has demonstrated his ability to form political alliances, giving him a better chance of forming a coalition government. The PSOE embodies « cohesion » in Spain and was leading in key regions such as Catalonia and the Basque Country. Right-wing parties, by allying with Vox, have closed the door to any rapprochement with other parties represented in Parliament.
The numbers show that right-wing parties only accumulate 45.5% of the votes, while left-wing parties, including the PSOE and its allies, surpass 50%. Therefore, the PSOE is in a position of power to govern Spain after the elections.
