According to EL MUNDO the magnitude of the defeat and loss of socialist territorial authority have forced the government’s president to “assume defeat in the first-person”. The president summons progressives and forces them to decide whether they want to mobilise and prevent a PP Vox government or go to the voting date in large numbers and maintain a socialist national government.

Statement by the President of Spain’s Government calling for new elections.

I will try to be as brief as possible and also very clear.

I just had a meeting in which I informed His Majesty, the King, of my decision to call an emergency Council of Ministers to dissolve the Cortes this afternoon and to proceed with calling general elections. I used the constitutional prerogative that is attributed to the president of the government.

The official call for the election will be published in the Official State Gazette tomorrow, Tuesday. This will ensure that the elections are held on Sunday, 23 July, according to the deadlines set by law.

I made this decision based on the results of yesterday’s elections.

These results will have the first effect of displacing magnificent regional presidents, and socialist mayors with impeccable management. This is despite many of them seeing their support increase yesterday.

The second result will be the administration of many institutions by new majorities formed between the Popular Party and VOX.

Although yesterday’s voting was confined to local and regional issues, the message of the vote goes beyond this.

As President of the Government and Secretary General of Socialist Party I take these results personally. I also believe that it is important to respond to the will and mandate of the people and to submit our democratic mandate.

Spain is about to emerge from a period of crises caused by the rise of Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine. We are on the right track of growth, creating jobs and social cohesion. At this point in the legislative, the Government has moved forward with the major reforms that were committed to in both the investiture speech and the government program, as well as in our agreement with European Commission.

In this geopolitical environment that Europe is currently experiencing, our country will be taking on a very significant responsibility, namely the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.

All these reasons make me believe that it is advisable to clarify what the Spanish people want. Clarification of the policies the Government of the Nation will apply and clarification of the political forces who will lead this phase.

There is only one way to answer these questions. This method is democracy, and I believe it is best for Spaniards take the floor to speak up, to speak without delay, in order to determine the political direction of their country.

Thank you so much.

Below you can view the statement in Spanish