Spain and the inconclusive election

By Silvio Canto, Jr.

Thumbs up for our system. At least the winner here gets to form a government quickly.

Over in Spain, they had an election and people wonder what the point of it was.

Who won? So far no one really knows.

This is the story:

Spain was plunged into political uncertainty Monday a day after Alberto Núñez Feijóo's conservative Popular Party narrowly won the country's national election but without securing the parliamentary majority needed to topple the five-year-old coalition government of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

The result means Feijóo can't claim outright victory, though he told his supporters he would try to form a government. That process is likely to take weeks or even months as Sánchez may also be able to secure support from smaller parties to form a governing coalition. A new election could also be called.

As I read in news reports, PP and Vox secured 169 seats, PSOE and Sumar 153 but nobody got the magical 176.

What a mess or, this is something like what happened in Canada, when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was returned to power by cutting a deal with a small party.

In other words, PM Sanchez could stay in power by cutting a deal with some of the other parties. It could happen if PM Sanchez is supported by Junts, a Catalan pro-independence party.

Frankly, I'm disappointed because what we heard from friends is that the vote would be a referendum on jobs. the economy, inflation and a Spanish version of "malaise."

It probably was but not enough to form a parliamentary majority.

So check the news because the election is over but forming a government is not.

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