Spanish House of Representatives backs Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for another term

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez after the vote in the Spanish House of Representatives

Reuters reported that Spain's lower house of parliament voted on November 16 to support Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's re-election for another term, ending a deadlock after no party won a majority in July's general election.

Mr Sanchez's Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) had previously struck deals with several regional parties to gain support, including proposing a controversial amnesty bill for Catalan separatists, which led to protests in many places.

Mr Sanchez received support by a margin of 179-171 with no abstentions. The main votes against came from the conservative Popular Party, the far-right Vox party and one MP from the UPN party.

Many left-wing allied parties have backed Mr Sanchez, who has headed the Spanish government since 2018.

When the vote ended, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, head of the Popular Party, crossed the room to shake hands with Sanchez, while left-wing lawmakers applauded, and Vox leader Santiago Abascal walked out.

Mr Feijoo has accused Mr Sanchez of violating the law regarding the amnesty bill and has called for large-scale protests to protest on November 18.

The European Socialist Party (EPP) said on November 16 that the European Parliament had approved a proposal to hold a debate next week on whether Mr. Sanchez's pardon threatens judicial independence in Spain.

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