Pedro Sánchez is the Spanish prime minister, who leads a minority government and called an early election in autumn 2026.
Pedro Sánchez is the prime minister of Spain.[1][2] His government has no majority in parliament. The minority coalition consists of the Socialist Party (PSOE) and the left-wing platform Sumar, and governs with the support of several smaller and regional parties.[3] On Friday 2 October 2026 the right-wing opposition and the Catalan separatists of the Junts party, whose support had been important for the minority government, voted against the government's proposals to address the housing crisis.[2] After that vote Sánchez called an early election for Sunday 29 November 2026, and parliament was dissolved on 6 October 2026.[1][2] He announced the election on 5 October 2026 in a speech of about ten minutes and said he wanted to broaden the progressive coalition that has governed Spain in various forms since 2018; he did not say directly whether he would seek to keep the post of prime minister.[4] In the speech Sánchez said that the Spanish economy has in recent years been growing markedly faster than the German and French ones and that the poverty rate is falling; he also mentioned support for Ukraine and rejection of Israel's conduct in the Gaza Strip, which he described as genocide.[4]
On the same day the government approved two decrees with measures on the housing crisis.[2] They extend protection of vulnerable tenants from eviction until 2030, bring tax relief for tenants and provide for strengthening public construction, automatic extension of some tenancy agreements and a limit on rent increases.[2] They are also meant to restrict property purchases by investment funds and to raise taxation of short-term rentals to tourists.[2] At a press conference Sánchez said the decrees are in essence the same as those that parliament rejected and called on the parliamentary groups to confirm them.[2] He also said: "This government is not throwing in the towel."[2] The decrees must be confirmed by a standing committee of 69 members, which represents the dissolved parliament until the election.[2]
The right-wing opposition had demanded an early election for several months, first because of corruption cases involving members of the Socialist Party and people close to Sánchez, and later also because of the migration crisis in Ceuta, and some pro-government politicians called for the same step. The Catalan party Junts, which had originally made the government's formation possible, distanced itself from it.[4]
More than 70,000 migrants entered the Spanish exclave of Ceuta; the vast majority quickly returned, but thousands of people remained in Ceuta. The People's Party and Vox criticised the government for a late response, while Sánchez defended the conduct of the security forces.[3]
According to current polls, Sánchez faces defeat in the election, and a government resulting from a victory of the People's Party (PP) would probably need the support of Vox. Sánchez is also the only socialist prime minister of a large member state of the European Union, and Spanish MEPs form the largest national delegation in the Socialists and Democrats group.[5]
Sources
- ČT24 — 6 October 2026
- ČTK / České noviny — 6 October 2026
- Novinky.cz — 5 October 2026
- iDNES.cz — 5 October 2026
- FORUM 24 — 6 October 2026