Despite Amnesty Controversy, Pedro Sánchez Poised for Reelection as Spain’s Prime Minister

Spain’s acting prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, is set to be chosen by a majority of legislators to form a new government in a parliamentary vote on Thursday. The vote follows nearly two days of debate among party leaders, which focused primarily on a controversial amnesty deal for Catalonia’s separatists that Sánchez agreed to in exchange for crucial support to be reelected as prime minister.

Assuming no last-minute surprises, Sánchez has the backing of six smaller parties, which allows him to reach the absolute majority of 176 lawmakers required for reelection and the formation of another minority coalition government with the left-wing Sumar (Joining Forces) party.

Spain’s inconclusive national elections on July 23 led to a highly fragmented parliament. The center-right Popular Party received the most votes in the elections but failed to garner enough support to form a government due to its alliances with the far-right Vox party. The Socialists finished second with 121 seats in the 350-seat Parliament but now enjoy the support of 179 lawmakers thanks to a series of agreements.

The sustainability of Sánchez’s support over the next four years remains to be seen. The amnesty deal signed by Sánchez’s Socialists with two key Catalan separatist parties, who hold 14 votes, would grant clemency to numerous Catalan separatists who face legal issues following the region’s illegal 2017 secession attempt, which sparked Spain’s largest crisis in decades. The amnesty law would particularly benefit former Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont, who is a fugitive from Spanish law and widely regarded as a public enemy.

Despite ongoing disagreements, the two Catalan parties and two Basque parties have expressed their intention to support Sánchez on Thursday. However, they have also made it clear that he must fulfill the economic and political agreements reached with each of them.

Spain’s judiciary has criticized the proposed amnesty, and it is currently under review by the European Union. The amnesty proposal has prompted street protests backed by the Popular Party and Vox, who accuse Sánchez of betraying the nation to retain power. Demonstrations outside the Socialist party’s headquarters in Madrid turned violent last week and again on Wednesday night.

The parliamentary vote is expected to take place after 1100 GMT.