Spain, traditionally, and due to its vulnerability to the economic crisis, has the potential of becoming one of the main centers of the crisis in the United Europe and the Eurozone. This was proven during protests that took place after the economic crisis, and from 2007 to 2010 in Europe. Subsequently, Spanish citizens pursued their economic demands in the elections, or in public polls. However, the equation seems to be different this time! It seems that the rise of the "yellow vests" in Paris and other French cities has also affected the Spanish internal and social equations.
The recent protests in Spain have raised many concerns at both domestic and European levels. At the domestic level, Pedro Sanchez is concerned about the escalation of the protests and the collapse of his government. Because the current economic crisis in Spain is so severe that he can't offer many concessions to the protesters. At the same time, the protesters are so angry with the Spanish government that perhaps only some economic and welfare benefits can calm them down. In this regard, it is possible to compare the anger of Spanish demonstrators with the anger of the yellow vests in France. Some experts believe that if the protest rallies in Spain are repeated, and it becomes a trend, the administration can't stop the protesters' anger even by granting some economic and welfare benefits.
However, it seems that the anger of Spanish citizens of the economic process that has been taking place in Spain (since 2007) is such that administration is incapable to manage it. In the past, economic and social protests in the European Union began in countries like Greece and Spain, and spread to other countries. This created the opportunity for the European troika to "temporarily curb the crisis." But this time the current protests in Europe started from France, which is the second economy in the Eurozone, and then spread to other countries. Obviously, under such circumstances, restraining the crisis by the European authorities would be far more difficult, and the impact of the crisis on other member states and even non-members in the Eurozone will be even greater, and Spain is no exception to this rule.
As Aljazeera reported, The governing Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) has won the country's general election with 123 seats after 99.9 percent of the votes were counted.PSOE's historical centre-right rival, the People's Party (PP), won 66 seats in Sunday's election in Spain.Speaking to supporters in Madrid, PSOE leader and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said "the future has won" after his party won about 30 percent of the vote. Turnout was about 75 percent.
Supporters chanted "With Rivera, no!" at the rally, referring to Albert Rivera, the leader of Citizens, a party that considers itself centrist but allied with PP and Vox, leading to further criticism that it is far right.
PP leader Pablo Casado told supporters on Sunday evening that the party will "continue to lead the opposition and the centre-right" of Spain.Citizens won 57 seats, a gain of 25, while Vox made historic gains with 24 seats representing the far right's return to Spanish national politics. Sanchez announced that he would soon open talks with other political parties to form a coalition.
In Catalonia, which has its own language, voters turned out beyond expectations.The Catalan Republican Left (ERC) - headed by Oriol Junqueras, who is facing trial on charges of sedition, rebellion and embezzlement of public funds over a 2017 referendum on Catalan independence - is projected to win 13 or 14 seats.That number is unprecedented for the Catalan nationalist party. If ERC agrees to a coalition with PSOE and UP, a government could likely be formed.
However, PSOE leader Pedro Sanchez has taken a tough stance against Catalan independence, saying there would be "no referendum and no independence" during a rally in Barcelona on Friday. Gerardo Rodriguez, a 42-year-old having lunch in front of a church, said he voted PSOE in part to Sanchez's tough stance on Catalan independence."Politically, I am in the centre. I have voted for both PP and PSOE in the past," Rodriguez said."I didn't want to vote PP because of Vox, but I was concerned with Sanchez's stance towards Catalan independence," he continued. "When he said there would be no independence, I was convinced."
Rodriguez said he admired PP leader Pablo Casado's tough stance towards Catalan independence, but found his willingness to partner with far-right Vox distasteful.
"I grew up hearing stories from my family about how horrible" life was under fascist dictator Franco.Members of Vox spoke warmly of Franco. "I couldn't vote for anyone who would work with them," Rodriguez said.
Reported by: Saeed Sobhani
MNA/TT