Parliament rejected the investiture of the socialist Sanchez as Prime Minister

USPA NEWS - The investiture debate of the Socialist candidate for President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchez, did not throw up surprises. As expected, Sanchez did not get an absolute majority in the first ballot and will have to undergo new scrutiny on Friday when a simple majority would suffice.

However, this majority is not assured, as manifested Wednesday by the spokesmen of the different parliamentary groups. In the first ballot, Pedro Sanchez only got the votes of the Socialist Party and Citizens, formation with which he signed a Government that has been criticized by other parties. The result of the first vote was 130 yes -90 of the Socialist deputies and 40 of citizens-, 219 no and one abstention, far from the 176 favorable votes needed the Socialist candidate to be invested.

The outcome of the vote reflects what happened earlier in the debate, when the rupture of Citizens with the conservative Popular Party and the breakdown of the extreme left-wing populist of Podemos with the Socialist Party were formalized. For Podemos, the agreement between the Socialists and Citizens represents the continuity of austerity policies and "retrogressive" Popular Party, while for the Conservative leader and acting Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, politics posed in his Government program the socialist candidate "aims to return to the situation of Spain in 2011."

Rajoy justifies its negative Pedro Sanchez's investiture vote because "the Popular Party has won the election not for president," the Socialist candidate. Conservatives are convinced that there will be early elections on June 26 and the investiture debate was a true reflection of that all think the same, since many times the speeches of the speakers seemed election campaign speeches. Nevertheless, conservatives will begin work on Monday to restore dialogue with the Socialist Party and Citizens. Same as Pedro Sanchez, who had not lost hope of reaching agreements that, allow their investiture. "I remain confident dialogue and agreement for a Government of change that improves the lives of all Spaniards," said the candidate after the vote.

However, it seems impossible to get it. Podemos leader, Pablo Iglesias, announced Friday that its formation will vote against the nomination of Pedro Sanchez. Iglesias invited the Socialist candidate to break the agreement with Citizens and start negotiating the "progressive coalition Government" that will propose leftist parties. Also Catalan and Basque nationalists announced their vote against the investiture, and the communist United Left also confirmed that on Friday will not support Pedro Sanchez. Sanchezis the third candidate for the Presidency of the Spanish Government to be submitted to a second vote after Calvo Sotelo in 1981 and Rodriguez Zapatero in 2000. But is the only one that has not secured the support in the second round.