What was the specific role of the Junts party in the collapse of the Socialist government?
Junts is a center-left party that supports independence for Catalonia. Because the PSOE did not win enough seats to govern alone in the 2023 general election, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez struck deals with Junts to form a minority government. The government collapsed specifically because Junts voted with the opposition to defeat the emergency housing decrees, depriving Sanchez of the necessary parliamentary support to function.
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What are the projected results for the Spanish general election scheduled for November 29, 2026?
According to polling from SocioMétrica and Sigma Dos, the People's Party (PP) is expected to secure 33% of the vote (approximately 140 seats). The PSOE is projected to decline to 27% (approximately 103 seats). Vox is expected to see a significant increase to 18% (approximately 63 seats), while the Sumar coalition is projected to plummet to 5-6% (approximately 9 seats). Because 176 seats are required for a majority, speculation is growing regarding whether the PP will seek an agreement with Vox.
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How did the Sánchez government's migration policies impact Spain's international standing and internal services?
The government approved a plan to grant amnesty to approximately 500,000 illegal migrants, though over one million applied by the June 2026 deadline, leading to warnings that it would overwhelm municipal services. Furthermore, a crisis at the Ceuta exclave involving tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco caused several EU countries to suspend free movement agreements with Spain, damaging the government's credibility on border security and drawing criticism from the United States.
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What specific scandals and policy failures were associated with the Sánchez government's tenure?
The government faced several high-profile controversies, including:
1. Amnesty for Catalan activists: The PSOE granted amnesty to activists prosecuted for the 2017 secession referendum, which many viewed as a concession to preserve power.
2. Budgetary Failure: The government failed to pass a new national budget since late 2022.
3. Corruption Scandals: Investigations into pandemic-era procurement involved Koldo García and former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos, who were convicted in June 2026. Additionally, Santos Cerdán resigned in 2025 over alleged commissions linked to public works.
4. Family Corruption: Begoña Gómez (Sanchez's wife) faced charges of influence peddling and embezzlement, while David Sánchez (Sanchez's brother) was convicted of administrative prevarication and barred from public office for nine years.
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Why did the Spanish government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez collapse in October 2026?
The government collapsed after the Congress of Deputies defeated two emergency housing policy decrees. These measures, which aimed to combat a housing crisis by extending eviction protections and regulating rentals, were voted down because Junts—a center-left party supporting Catalan independence—voted with the opposition. This loss of support was critical because Sanchez's Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) did not have enough seats to govern alone and relied on Junts to pass legislation.
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