Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez calls for early general election

Madrid, May (IANS) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called for an general election scheduled to be held on July 23.

Sanchez announced his decision on Monday from his official residence following the defeat of his Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) to the People's Party (PP) in the elections for 12 of the country's regional governments and over 8,000 city halls on Sunday, reports Xinhua news agency.

In a brief statement, the Prime Minister said: "I have communicated to the Head of State (King Felipe VI) the decision to call a Council of Ministers this afternoon to dissolve Parliament and proceed to call a general election."

Sanchez explained that he had taken his decision in "the face of yesterday's (Sunday's) results", adding he believed it was the "best for the Spanish people to be able to give their decision and define the political future of this country without delay".

In the regional and municipal votes on Sunday, PP had won 31.5 per cent of the vote, whereas PSOE gained 28.11 per cent.

Meanwhile, the Vox party saw its votes almost doubled compared to the 2019 local elections.

PP has also won the city hall in Valencia, Zaragoza and in Seville, which has long been considered a socialist stronghold.

On Sunday night, PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo celebrated his party's victory in the regional and municipal votes, calling it a "the start of a new political era".