Spain’s Socialist leader quits and opens door to end nation’s deadlock
For months, Pedro Sanchez had been resisting overtures by acting conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to enter a coalition or let his minority government rule, as Spain was knee deep in political paralysis following two inconclusive elections
Spain’s Socialist chief Pedro Sanchez has quit after high-ranking party members staged a rebellion against him, in a move that could pave the way to unblocking the country’s political paralysis.
Weakened by dismal results in general and regional elections, the Socialist party (PSOE) is deeply divided between those who want to let a minority government led by acting conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy govern, and others like Sanchez who categorically refuse.
But Sanchez lost a vote on the contentious issue at the end of a long, tense gathering of more than 250 members of the party’s federal committee - its de-facto parliament - at the Madrid headquarters, outside which supporters slammed his critics as “fascists” and “traitors.”
“I have announced... the resignation of the federal executive committee and also my resignation as secretary general,” he told reporters Saturday, before leaving the headquarters in a car surrounded by photographers and cameramen.
The party will now be run by an interim executive, which may direct its lawmakers to abstain in a parliamentary vote of confidence on a Rajoy-led government, instead of voting against it as they did last month under Sanchez’s guidance, prompting its failure.
