Spain’s groundhog day: why Madrid needs a government

Spaniards currently feel that they are in a time-loop. They will probably have to go to the polls once more this Christmas, for the third time in twelve months. Neither the December 2015 election nor this June’s produced a clear winner, and the main political parties have been unable to form a government. A third election will not be the catastrophe some portray it as. But if Spain’s main political parties fail to reach an agreement even after a third election, both Madrid and Brussels will be in trouble: Spain needs to make budget cuts if it wants to avoid an EU fine, but a caretaker government cannot approve a new budget. And the EU will not be able to rely on Spain at a time when it needs to take important decisions, from how to manage the migration crisis to dealing with Brexit Britain.

• Primary Source

ESO: Key Source: Spanish general election, 2016 http://www.europeansources.info/record/spanish-general-election-2016/

ESO: Background information: Spain risks missing 2015 and 2016 deficit targets — Brussels report http://www.europeansources.info/record/spain-risks-missing-2015-and-2016-deficit-targets-brussels-report/

ESO: Background information: Spain moves a step closer to ending political deadlock http://www.europeansources.info/record/spain-moves-a-step-closer-to-ending-political-deadlock/

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