Early Election Decision in Spain: Pedro Sanchez Goes to the Polls on November 29

MİLLİYET.COM.TR / Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that early general elections will be held on November 29 after the two decrees prepared by the government to solve the housing crisis were rejected in the parliament. Stating that he met with King Felipe VI, Sanchez said that the Council of Ministers will hold an extraordinary meeting to dissolve the parliament, and that the elections will reveal the preferences of the Spaniards regarding the future of the country; In the current polls, it is claimed that the main opposition People's Party (PP) is ahead and can achieve a majority with Vox.

So, what kind of a rupture could the November 29 election cause in Spanish politics? Istanbul Aydin University Faculty Member Dr. Canan Tercan evaluated the early election decision in Spain to Milliyet.com.tr.

PIECES OF THE WAR OF ATTRIBUTATION

Dr. Tercan's statements are as follows: There is an election in Spain on November 29. The Sanchez government continues to be squeezed, this time there is a housing crisis on the table. The streets of Madrid have been shaking with anger over the housing crisis for some time. We are faced with a Spain where rents are skyrocketing and young people are having a hard time finding a room to put a roof over their heads, let alone owning a house.

Today, not only politics but also the social costs of the tourism economy, which has been growing for years, are at the center of Spain's election agenda. For many years, Spain has promoted its cities to attract tourists and turned into a global tourism brand. The goal was clear: more tourists, more spending, more investment, more employment and earnings. This model worked significantly. However, like all European cities that invested unpreparedly in tourism, it also opened the door to migration, housing crisis and the wear and tear of the social fabric. While investors earned a lot, blue and white collar workers were very tired.

The election decision is not limited to the housing market; Debates over the management of the migrant crisis in Ceuta and allegations of corruption against the government are part of the war to wear down the government of Pedro Sánchez. In the latest crisis, the opposition's rejection of the housing decree prepared to solve the housing problem in the parliament also locked down the legislative power. In this impasse, Prime Minister Sánchez made one of the brave and risky moves that he frequently used throughout his political career and called early elections.

'CONFIDENCE RENEWAL ROULETTE'

For the government, this decision is not a surrender, but rather a strategic "attack" move. In Spain, continuing with a minority coalition that was worn out and lost the support of the Parliament meant giving new trump cards to the opposition group with each passing day. Sánchez wants to turn to the voters and give this message: "You see, we want to reform, but the parliament is blocking our way. Give us a stronger mandate so that we can solve the social crises."

This is a "confidence restoration roulette". The government, which is trying to be worn down, wants to renew its legitimacy and unite the dispersed voters at the ballot box out of fear of opposition. The housing crisis gives Sanchez's left party an advantage over the right. We are in favor of social policy, we are with you, Prime Minister Sanchez is playing his card and this can be reciprocated.

RISKS PRESENTED BY THE BOX

However, the guarantee of this gamble is two big risks; At the center of the housing crisis is the citizen, there is no party, this is both an advantage and not; The promises made by the government must be seen as sufficient by the public, and the right-wing Bloc has prepared a strong infrastructure and is moving forward with ambition. The centre-right (PP) and far-right (Vox) bloc is going to the polls with the belief of complete victory, with both the corruption files and the border security/Ceuta crisis behind them.

As Spain goes to the polls, the real issue is not how many times Sánchez will survive this difficult turn; The opposition is attacking very strongly, smearing with allegations of corruption, Ceuta's immigration crisis, management problems and public anger, and now the common problem of all touristic European metropolises: marginalizing the housing crisis, putting the blame on Sanchez and using the street, all of these add up to a great sum.

IT WILL DETERMINE THE FATE OF SPAIN

There is a testing area in front of us; We will watch how convincing a strong political stance, shaken by housing, justice and governance crises and subject to constant propaganda, remains in the eyes of the voters, and this will determine the fate of Spain. The ballot box in November will either give new blood and strength to Sánchez, or will open the door to a new era in Spanish politics.

So what happens in two cases; If Sanchez proves strong, Spain will advance further and have no shortage of support for its policies in parliament, economic progress will continue and social cohesion will be invested in society. In international relations, as expected in domestic politics, an approach focused on progress, harmony and peace is adopted.

If the right-wing bloc, which mainly includes the right, comes to power, Spain will completely change its axis. In this scenario, the issue is not limited to harsh policies towards immigrants; The reaction against Islam may come to the fore with authoritarian policies that have fascistic features, such as interfering with religious freedoms and the judiciary, restricting civil society, weakening independent media, and restructuring state institutions along the lines of power. In international relations, there is an agenda of getting closer to Israel and Argentina. As a matter of fact, far-right leader Abaskal is a politician who frequently expresses his loyalty to Israel. Moreover, accountability may also be restricted. Namely; The corruption file of today's main opposition right-wing party PP, which brought Sanchez to power, is officially quite long. The most prominent one was the Gürtel corruption case, which was known as the corruption cases of the century. As a result of hundreds of trials, a vote of no confidence was given in 2018, the government fell and Sanchez came to power.

In short, today, Spain has been declared the unwanted child of the West due to its attitude prioritizing peace in the Iran War, which started with Sanchez's stance on Gaza. With constant fires, migration crises, corruption smears and more, the Spanish political arena has turned into a brutal battlefield. Gladiator Sanchez is constantly fighting for his government in the arena. However, despite its economic success in this competition, it is happening as President Sanchez is tried to be overthrown and Spain is going through sharp and difficult times.