Earlier it was known that the Socialist Party of Spain secured the in-principle support of the Catalan separatist party
The election of the candidate of the Socialist Party, Frantina Armegol, to the presidency of the Spanish Parliament is a victory for the outgoing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, which increases the chances of leading the new Spanish government by securing the required parliamentary support.
Franthina Armegol, 52, secured 178 votes, two more than an absolute majority in the 350-member parliament. Among them are apparently the 7 votes of the party Junts per Catalunya (JxCat, Together for Catalonia) which represents the harshest current of Catalan nationalism.
The result of the vote confirms information published by the Spanish media before the vote on reaching a last-minute agreement in principle between the Socialist Party and Junts per Catalunyathe party of separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, in exile in Belgium and wanted by Spanish justice since 2017 and Catalonia’s failed secession attempt from Spain.
Without JxCat’s 7 votes, the Socialist Party and its allies had only 171 votes, one less than the bloc potentially supporting the People’s Party and winner of the July 23 election could secure.
But in practice, People’s Party candidate Kuka Gamara only got 139 votes – the votes of the 137 MPs of the People’s Party plus the votes of two small local parties. The 33 MPs of the far-right party Vox decided to vote for their own candidate.
Today’s vote for the presidency of the Spanish parliament is considered crucial, not because the president of the parliament is the third person in the state hierarchy, but because its result is an indicator of the possibility of Pedro Sanchez to lead the new Spanish government.
The vote of confidence will take place in late August or early September.
Its outcome will depend on the decision made by JxCat and specifically by Carles Puigdemont.
The July 23 election gave victory to the People’s Party, but by a smaller margin than expected, bringing the two political blocs to a tie, the bloc of the outgoing governing coalition of the left and the bloc of the right and far-right.
The surprise outcome of the Spanish election makes JxCat the powerful regulator that will decide whether Spain will be governed by the Sanchez-led coalition or forced back to the polls in the coming months.
According to information, the negotiations to convince the seven Catalan separatist MPs to vote for Frantina Armegol were held in utmost secrecy and lasted until the morning.
Source :Skai
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