(Madrid) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was sworn in on Friday, the day after his re-election to power by Parliament, in a context of strong mobilization from the right against his decision to grant an amnesty to Catalan separatists.
The socialist leader promised, before King Felipe VI, to “faithfully fulfill the duties incumbent on the head of government” and to respect “the Constitution”, during a ceremony at the Zarzuela Palace, home of the royal family Spanish.
PHOTO ANDRES BALLESTEROS, REUTERS
King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez
Now that he has been sworn in, the 51-year-old socialist leader, in power since 2018, will be able to announce in the coming days the composition of his new government with his allies in the far-left Sumar coalition.
Coming second in the legislative elections on July 23 behind his conservative rival Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the Prime Minister has had to negotiate in all directions in recent weeks to obtain support for his reappointment to power from regionalist groups, including the party of Catalan separatist Carles Puigdemont.
In exchange for their essential support, the Catalan separatists have obtained the upcoming adoption of an amnesty law for their leaders and activists pursued by the courts due in particular to their involvement in the attempted secession of Catalonia in 2017.
This measure has caused a deep divide in the country, where multiple demonstrations, sometimes violent, have taken place in recent days.
A new rally, attended by the leaders of Mr. Feijóo’s Popular Party and those of the far-right Vox party, is planned for Saturday in Madrid.
The inauguration of Mr. Sánchez by Parliament is “an act of high treason,” said a senior leader of the PP, Elías Bendodo, who accused the prime minister of having “sold Spain” to the separatists.
“We will continue to support all mobilizations and all calls to oppose” this “government resulting from an unconstitutional pact”, assured Santiago Abascal, the head of Vox, who has been denouncing for several days a “coup “state” institutional.
A sign of the extreme tension, a group of retired soldiers, very critical of the left, published a manifesto on Friday calling “those responsible for the defense of the constitutional order” to “dismiss the prime minister” and to “summon » new elections.
Asked about this explosive climate, the government spokesperson, Isabel Rodriguez, recognized that this new mandate of Pedro Sánchez promised to be “complex” and “difficult” but judged that the government had “demonstrated” in recent years that he was “capable of handling” “extremely complicated” situations.