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Roundup: Spain sees recovery of consensus in 2016

Xinhua, December 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

The year 2016 began in Spain without an agreement to form a government after a general election left a hung parliament.

After two general elections in six months, a minority government has emerged. Consensus will be key for Spain next year because with a minority government, different political forces have to reach agreements.

The economic crisis has led to a new political scenario in Spain, challenging the traditional two-party system in which the two major parties, the People's Party (PP) and the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) took turns in the government.

Social discontent, resulting from the harsh adjustments imposed by the crisis, led to the emergence of new parties and strengthening of others that have appeared in the political scene.

The most notable cases have been those of the left-wing Podemos and the center-right Ciudadanos.

After the elections of 2016, Podemos obtained 71 seats and Ciudadanos 32, out of a total of 350. The PP obtained 137 and the PSOE 85.

The PSOE went through an internal crisis caused by the decision to abstain in the investiture vote of Mariano Rajoy, leader of the PP and current prime minister.

The crisis of the PSOE has been one of the political events that marked the year. His former secretary general, Pedro Sanchez, refused to abstain in the investiture vote to facilitate a minority government of the PP.

The crisis ended with the resignation of Sanchez and a division within the party. Nowadays there is no secretary general in the party, but a management committee took control.

Likewise, Podemos is currently experiencing division between the supporters of its current leader Pablo Iglesias and the party's secretary of politics, Inigo Errejon.

Meanwhile, in a national congress of PP in February, it is expected that Rajoy would consolidate his leadership, and new proposals with emphasis on fighting corruption more effectively will be implemented.

The parties and the government must also deal with the situation in Catalonia, a region in northeastern Spain which has repeatedly asked the central government to hold a referendum on independence, that Madrid strongly rejects.

In the coming year, different political forces have to clinch agreements. It will be beneficial for social and political life in the country, leading to more inclusive policies. Endit