Apr 29, 2019
The Socialist Workers' Party emerged victorious in Spain's snap election on Sunday after running on a platform that included a Green New Deal to combat the climate crisis, a minimum wage increase, and higher taxes on the rich.
"Sanchez came out in support of the U.S. Green New Deal--sometimes translated as 'El New Deal Verde' or 'El Green New Deal de Espana'--in January and has campaigned on it throughout the election."
--Kate Aronoff, The Intercept
With more than 99 percent of the votes counted, the Socialist Party, or PSOE, won 123 of the 350 seats in Parliament. While not enough for an outright majority, the PSOE is now in a position to form a broad left-leaning coalition that would include the anti-austerity Podemos Party.
Speaking to supporters in Madrid following Sunday's election--which also saw the far-right Vox Party enter Parliament--Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the PSOE's win sends "a message to the world that it's possible to win against regression and authoritarianism."
"With that the future has won and the past has lost," said Sanchez at a victory rally.
\u201cA better than expected day for the Left in Spain. PSOE win easily according to the exits, Podemos in third only 2 points behind the PP! Looks like a coalition.\u201d— Ronan Burtenshaw (@Ronan Burtenshaw) 1556474878
\u201cDecent result for the left of center in Spain. It looks like the specter of the far-right Vox actually drove votes for the Center-left PSOE. The far left Podemos declined a bit but will probably be in a coalition govt with PSOE plus some regional Catalan or Basque parties\u201d— Nando (@Nando) 1556486431
As The Intercept's Kate Aronoff reported ahead of Sunday's election, "Sanchez came out in support of the U.S. Green New Deal--sometimes translated as 'El New Deal Verde' or 'El Green New Deal de Espana'--in January and has campaigned on it throughout the election."
"As outlined in the party's recently released 110-point manifesto," Aronoff wrote, "the overall goal of Spain's Green New Deal is an economy-wide mobilization involving participation from local communities, civil society, unions, and businesses, with an industrial policy that treats decarbonization as an engine of job creation."
Teresa Ribera, Spain's minister for ecological transition, told Aronoff that the Green New Deal "accepts that we are in an emergency moment where we need to transform."
"We cannot get as big a transformation as we need without [a] big dose of just transition and solidarity policies," Ribera said. "Otherwise there will be many people who are left behind."
\u201cThe Labour party is pushing to declare a national emergency on climate change, and PSOE and Podemos in Spain are both running on a Green New Deal. Almost seems like left parties are the only ones taking this crisis seriously https://t.co/qZLgnGyU1l\u201d— Kate Aronoff (@Kate Aronoff) 1556470251
While PSOE strengthened its position in the Spanish government, the rise of the xenophobic, anti-feminist Vox Party sparked alarm in the run-up to country's snap election.
As the New York Timesreported, Vox--which won 24 seats in Parliament--"promised not only to quash the secessionist challenge in Catalonia but also to recentralize Spain by removing the powers of its regional governments."
But while acknowledging Vox's surge is certainly cause for serious concern, Washington Post reporter James McAuley noted that the far-right party performed well below expectations.
\u201cDon't disagree but would challenge emphasis\n\nTonight was also a win for Spanish left unafraid to govern as such. Sanchez raised 2019 min wage 22% and won big. And you say Spain never confronted fascist past, but Sanchez is the guy who is literally going to dig up Franco come June\u201d— James McAuley (@James McAuley) 1556488794
"Vox was supposed to do much better than it did. Its entry into Parliament is clearly huge but really not the story tonight," McAuley tweeted.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The Socialist Workers' Party emerged victorious in Spain's snap election on Sunday after running on a platform that included a Green New Deal to combat the climate crisis, a minimum wage increase, and higher taxes on the rich.
"Sanchez came out in support of the U.S. Green New Deal--sometimes translated as 'El New Deal Verde' or 'El Green New Deal de Espana'--in January and has campaigned on it throughout the election."
--Kate Aronoff, The Intercept
With more than 99 percent of the votes counted, the Socialist Party, or PSOE, won 123 of the 350 seats in Parliament. While not enough for an outright majority, the PSOE is now in a position to form a broad left-leaning coalition that would include the anti-austerity Podemos Party.
Speaking to supporters in Madrid following Sunday's election--which also saw the far-right Vox Party enter Parliament--Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the PSOE's win sends "a message to the world that it's possible to win against regression and authoritarianism."
"With that the future has won and the past has lost," said Sanchez at a victory rally.
\u201cA better than expected day for the Left in Spain. PSOE win easily according to the exits, Podemos in third only 2 points behind the PP! Looks like a coalition.\u201d— Ronan Burtenshaw (@Ronan Burtenshaw) 1556474878
\u201cDecent result for the left of center in Spain. It looks like the specter of the far-right Vox actually drove votes for the Center-left PSOE. The far left Podemos declined a bit but will probably be in a coalition govt with PSOE plus some regional Catalan or Basque parties\u201d— Nando (@Nando) 1556486431
As The Intercept's Kate Aronoff reported ahead of Sunday's election, "Sanchez came out in support of the U.S. Green New Deal--sometimes translated as 'El New Deal Verde' or 'El Green New Deal de Espana'--in January and has campaigned on it throughout the election."
"As outlined in the party's recently released 110-point manifesto," Aronoff wrote, "the overall goal of Spain's Green New Deal is an economy-wide mobilization involving participation from local communities, civil society, unions, and businesses, with an industrial policy that treats decarbonization as an engine of job creation."
Teresa Ribera, Spain's minister for ecological transition, told Aronoff that the Green New Deal "accepts that we are in an emergency moment where we need to transform."
"We cannot get as big a transformation as we need without [a] big dose of just transition and solidarity policies," Ribera said. "Otherwise there will be many people who are left behind."
\u201cThe Labour party is pushing to declare a national emergency on climate change, and PSOE and Podemos in Spain are both running on a Green New Deal. Almost seems like left parties are the only ones taking this crisis seriously https://t.co/qZLgnGyU1l\u201d— Kate Aronoff (@Kate Aronoff) 1556470251
While PSOE strengthened its position in the Spanish government, the rise of the xenophobic, anti-feminist Vox Party sparked alarm in the run-up to country's snap election.
As the New York Timesreported, Vox--which won 24 seats in Parliament--"promised not only to quash the secessionist challenge in Catalonia but also to recentralize Spain by removing the powers of its regional governments."
But while acknowledging Vox's surge is certainly cause for serious concern, Washington Post reporter James McAuley noted that the far-right party performed well below expectations.
\u201cDon't disagree but would challenge emphasis\n\nTonight was also a win for Spanish left unafraid to govern as such. Sanchez raised 2019 min wage 22% and won big. And you say Spain never confronted fascist past, but Sanchez is the guy who is literally going to dig up Franco come June\u201d— James McAuley (@James McAuley) 1556488794
"Vox was supposed to do much better than it did. Its entry into Parliament is clearly huge but really not the story tonight," McAuley tweeted.
The Socialist Workers' Party emerged victorious in Spain's snap election on Sunday after running on a platform that included a Green New Deal to combat the climate crisis, a minimum wage increase, and higher taxes on the rich.
"Sanchez came out in support of the U.S. Green New Deal--sometimes translated as 'El New Deal Verde' or 'El Green New Deal de Espana'--in January and has campaigned on it throughout the election."
--Kate Aronoff, The Intercept
With more than 99 percent of the votes counted, the Socialist Party, or PSOE, won 123 of the 350 seats in Parliament. While not enough for an outright majority, the PSOE is now in a position to form a broad left-leaning coalition that would include the anti-austerity Podemos Party.
Speaking to supporters in Madrid following Sunday's election--which also saw the far-right Vox Party enter Parliament--Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the PSOE's win sends "a message to the world that it's possible to win against regression and authoritarianism."
"With that the future has won and the past has lost," said Sanchez at a victory rally.
\u201cA better than expected day for the Left in Spain. PSOE win easily according to the exits, Podemos in third only 2 points behind the PP! Looks like a coalition.\u201d— Ronan Burtenshaw (@Ronan Burtenshaw) 1556474878
\u201cDecent result for the left of center in Spain. It looks like the specter of the far-right Vox actually drove votes for the Center-left PSOE. The far left Podemos declined a bit but will probably be in a coalition govt with PSOE plus some regional Catalan or Basque parties\u201d— Nando (@Nando) 1556486431
As The Intercept's Kate Aronoff reported ahead of Sunday's election, "Sanchez came out in support of the U.S. Green New Deal--sometimes translated as 'El New Deal Verde' or 'El Green New Deal de Espana'--in January and has campaigned on it throughout the election."
"As outlined in the party's recently released 110-point manifesto," Aronoff wrote, "the overall goal of Spain's Green New Deal is an economy-wide mobilization involving participation from local communities, civil society, unions, and businesses, with an industrial policy that treats decarbonization as an engine of job creation."
Teresa Ribera, Spain's minister for ecological transition, told Aronoff that the Green New Deal "accepts that we are in an emergency moment where we need to transform."
"We cannot get as big a transformation as we need without [a] big dose of just transition and solidarity policies," Ribera said. "Otherwise there will be many people who are left behind."
\u201cThe Labour party is pushing to declare a national emergency on climate change, and PSOE and Podemos in Spain are both running on a Green New Deal. Almost seems like left parties are the only ones taking this crisis seriously https://t.co/qZLgnGyU1l\u201d— Kate Aronoff (@Kate Aronoff) 1556470251
While PSOE strengthened its position in the Spanish government, the rise of the xenophobic, anti-feminist Vox Party sparked alarm in the run-up to country's snap election.
As the New York Timesreported, Vox--which won 24 seats in Parliament--"promised not only to quash the secessionist challenge in Catalonia but also to recentralize Spain by removing the powers of its regional governments."
But while acknowledging Vox's surge is certainly cause for serious concern, Washington Post reporter James McAuley noted that the far-right party performed well below expectations.
\u201cDon't disagree but would challenge emphasis\n\nTonight was also a win for Spanish left unafraid to govern as such. Sanchez raised 2019 min wage 22% and won big. And you say Spain never confronted fascist past, but Sanchez is the guy who is literally going to dig up Franco come June\u201d— James McAuley (@James McAuley) 1556488794
"Vox was supposed to do much better than it did. Its entry into Parliament is clearly huge but really not the story tonight," McAuley tweeted.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.