By Alyssa McMurtry
OVIEDO, Spain (AA) – Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned on Wednesday that a government of far-right politicians could soon be governing Spain.
Speaking publicly for the first time since he called snap general elections on Monday, Sanchez said Spaniards have a choice between the status quo or right-wing extremists when they vote in late July.
He said Spain’s right wing, which emerged victorious in local and regional elections on Sunday, wants to stop investment in renewable energy, destroy the environment, reverse social advances and decrease worker protection.
“The extreme right won, and we need clarification because Spain faces enormous challenges. We need to clarify if Spaniards want to destroy rights; if they want a social democratic party or a tandem of far-right parties that copy the methods that we’ve seen in Washington, Budapest, or Brazil,” said Sanchez.
With Spain on the verge of adopting the rotating presidency of the European Council in July, Sanchez argues that he needs a strong mandate to stop the right wing from “ruining Spain’s image and fighting against our interests.”
On Sunday’s election, the mainstream Popular Party garnered the most votes, but in many cities and regions, it will need the support of the far-right party Vox to form governments. Whether Vox will demand coalition governments or support the Popular Party remains to be seen.
Far-right European leaders congratulated Vox on its performance, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
In his speech, Sanchez warned that Spain is not immune to the “reactionary wave” gaining strength throughout Europe. But he presented himself as the leader to keep Spain “moving forward, not backward” for the next four years.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Popular Party leader Albero Nunez Feijoo vowed to leave behind divisive politics and said he would not engage in “debates that have nothing to do with the problems of citizens.”
“You can find me making proposals, presenting a program for government, and working for social, economic and institutional recovery.”