Spain is approaching the third general elections in four years, which are slated for Sunday, more divided than ever.
Many recent events will influence the vote. There has been a huge economic crisis of 2008, much worse than anywhere else in Europe since the Spanish boom had been based on the construction sector. The events eventually led to the appearance of the Podemos party and the Citizens party, left and right.
There has been the corruption scandal that “killed” former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s government and created the downfall of his party, the Christian Democratic People’s Party (PP).
There has been the very long Catalan crisis, with the declaration of Catalan independence by the Barcelona government of Carles Puigdemont, then his escape to Belgium and the trial of members of his government in Madrid.
There has been the surprise success of the far-right Vox party in regional elections of Andalusia, the most populous region of Spain. Vox has been the kingmaker, making it possible for the PP and liberals from the Citizens to eject the socialists for the first time in decades.
There has been the return of the socialists with the minority government of Pedro Sanchez of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE). But he could not satisfy the Catalan separatists, supporting him from outside, and his government fell on the budget vote. Sanchez is now in a caretaker role.
This a rocky period in Spanish politics, with many angry demonstrations in Madrid and Barcelona, from the left as well as from the right, ahead of the general election on Sunday, April 28th, while the show trial of the 8 prominent Catalan separatists continues in Madrid until September.