Spain’s Feijoo faces key vote without support to be PM

MADRID — Alberto Nunez-Feijoo defended his bid to become Spain’s next prime minister in parliament on Tuesday, a day before an inauguration vote that the right-wing opposition leader is almost certain to lose.

Despite winning the most votes in July’s inconclusive election, the Popular Party (PP) leader has no majority to form a government and, barring surprises, will face defeat.

Taking the podium at midday (10:00 GMT), Feijoo launched a blistering attack on outgoing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez over his plans to retain the premiership through the support of a hardline Catalan separatist party cast in the role of king maker.

In exchange, JxCat wants an amnesty for those facing legal action over the failed 2017 Catalan separatist bid — a demand that has outraged the right.

“No end, not even becoming prime minister, justifies the means,” Feijoo thundered, repeatedly insisting he himself would never pay such a price.

“I have within my reach the votes needed to become prime minister but I will not pay the price they are asking to do so,” he said in seeking to justify his imminent defeat.

What Feijoo failed to mention was that if he had courted JxCat for its decisive seven votes, it would have cost him the backing of key ally Vox, a far-right faction which is implacably opposed to any separatist agenda.

‘Blackmail’ 

Acutely aware of his lack of support, Feijoo has for weeks been attacking Sanchez’s plan to seek backing from JxCat, whose leader Carles Puigdemont fled Spain to avoid prosecution over the 2017 separatist crisis.

For the Spanish right, Puigdemont is public enemy number one and on Sunday, around 40,000 flag-waving protesters hit the streets of Madrid to denounce his amnesty demand, which Feijoo blasted as tantamount to “blackmail”.

“What the pro-independence movement is proposing... is a direct attack on the essential democratic values of our country” and granting it an amnesty would only serve the interests of one person,” Feijoo said, addressing Sanchez.

After his 100-minute speech, it was Sanchez’s turn to respond, but he did not take to the podium as expected, drawing derision from PP lawmakers who shouted: “Coward, coward, coward!”

Instead it was a little-known Socialist lawmaker who gave a succinct reply.

“Mr Feijoo, everyone knows that you don’t have the support to become prime minister, and that very soon, you won’t even have the support to remain at the head of your party,” said Oscar Puentes,

To be sworn in, Feijoo needs an absolute majority of 176 votes in the 350-seat parliament, but he can only count on 172, largely thanks to Vox, whose extreme positions have left the PP almost totally alienated.

If he fails Wednesday’s test, he will face a second vote on Friday requiring a simple majority of more votes in favour than against. But there too, he has little to no chance of winning sufficient support.

The PP leader’s expected defeat will set in motion a new two-month countdown, paving the way for Sanchez to try his hand at an inauguration vote.

If he doesn’t succeed within that time frame, Spain will face new elections, most likely in January.

Amnesty red line 

Approving an amnesty to stay in power would be dangerous for Sanchez as it would benefit Puigdemont, making it a red line not only for the right but also for elements within Sanchez’s own Socialist Party.

The PP has sought to exploit those divisions by urging Socialist lawmakers opposed to the amnesty to reconsider their stance on Feijoo’s inauguration, angering Sanchez who has accused it of “encouraging the worst kind of corruption”.

Sanchez, who has repeatedly demonstrated his capacity for political survival, is confident he will be returned to power with the support of the far left along with Basque and Catalan regional parties.

“They are demonstrating against a Socialist government,” he said of Sunday’s protest, “and I’m sorry but there is going to be a Socialist government”.