Summary:
- Former Catalan regional government head, Carlos Pujdemont, holds a pivotal position as a potential kingmaker in Spain's hung parliament after the recent election.
- The left and right blocs failed to secure a majority, and now the Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez may seek support from Pujdemont's Junts party in forming a government, which could involve concessions on Catalonia's independence.
- Pujdemont's party, Junts, holds significant influence, and their support is critical for Sanchez to secure a working majority.
- Carlos Pujdemont faces legal challenges, including a trial for his involvement in the 2017 push for Catalan independence.
Spain's election on Sunday ended in a hung parliament and what one newspaper called instability. Former Catalan regional government head, Carlos Pujdemont, unexpectedly finds himself a potential kingmaker, as no block on the left or right won enough seats to form a majority.
Carlos Pujdemont, who currently lives in self-imposed exile in Belgium since leading a failed push to split Catalonia from Spain in 2017, holds a crucial position in the aftermath of Spain's recent election. With neither the left nor the right bloc securing enough seats for a majority, the Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez could seek support from Pujdemont's Junts party to form a government. In return, Pujdemont's party might demand further concessions on Catalonia's independence.
The recent election resulted in the centre-right People's Party and the far-right Vox winning the most seats in parliament, but their combined total of 169 seats falls short of the 176 seats needed for a majority. On the other side, the ruling Socialists and far-left Sumo party won 153 seats and have potential options for negotiating support from small Basque and Catalan separatist parties. However, it's likely that Sanchez will need to secure the support of both the left-wing separatist party ERC and the more hard-line Junts party, which has not previously backed Sanchez in the past four years.
Carlos Pujdemont's influence within Junts remains significant, but his party's stance towards Sanchez has been critical. In July, Pujdemont stated that Junts would not support Sanchez, considering him unreliable. Pujdemont himself faces trial for his role in the 2017 independent spid and was recently stripped of his immunity as a member of the European Parliament, paving the way for potential extradition.
The political future of Spain now hinges on the decisions made by Carlos Pujdemont and his Junts party. As negotiations and discussions unfold, the country eagerly awaits a resolution to the electoral impasse.