On Sunday, Sanchez lost the first attempt after falling short of the required absolute majority of 176 seats in a first confidence vote in parliament. The political situation in Catalonia remains in flux following a 2017 independence referendum which Madrid declared unconstitutional. The Catalan independence push triggered Spain’s most serious political crisis post-Franco. Spain’s centre-right parties and Vox accused Sanchez of putting national unity at risk with his pact with the Catalan separatists. Catalan tensionsBut Sanchez said there was “no other option” than a Socialist-Podemos government, adding Spain could not go on without a proper administration.

Source: The Guardian January 07, 2020 14:03 UTC