Pedro Sanchez Dissolves Spanish Parliament and Calls Early Election

ARK News.. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called an early general election for November 29, 2026, announcing the dissolution of Spain’s parliament in a televised address. The election will be held several months ahead of schedule.

According to Bloomberg, people close to Sánchez, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said government ministers and senior officials in the government and Socialist Party supported calling an early election as the best strategy following a parliamentary defeat that dealt a setback to the government last week.

They added that Sánchez spent the weekend holding meetings with senior political figures.

Speculation about an early election gained momentum on Friday after parliament rejected two emergency housing measures proposed by the government. The measures were aimed at addressing Spain’s housing crisis, including protections for vulnerable tenants and other housing-related measures.

Sánchez’s Socialist Party also suffered a significant defeat in regional elections in Extremadura, in what was described as the first electoral test for the party.

The minority coalition led by Sánchez has faced difficulties in passing legislation since he returned to power in 2023. The latest defeat was particularly significant because affordable housing is a major concern among the government’s supporters.

Sánchez’s current term was due to run until July 2027. The government has faced declining support in opinion polls in recent months, while the conservative Popular Party and the far-right Vox have maintained significant support.

The parliamentary defeat could also give Sánchez and the Socialists an opportunity to build their election campaign around a confrontation with the right. In his announcement, Sánchez said he wanted a broader progressive majority in parliament.

Sánchez first became prime minister in 2018 and has not completed a full term in office, having previously called two early elections. He has spent eight years in power while dealing with a series of political crises.

During his current term, his government has failed to pass a single full state budget, while several corruption cases have involved figures linked to his party or family.

During the summer, the arrival of around 80,000 migrants in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta also triggered a new wave of public dissatisfaction.

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