Political forecasts had foretold an early election, and Pedro Sánchez has officially confirmed it at last. In a question-free appearance at the Palacio de la Moncloa, the Prime Minister announced the calling of early general elections in Spain for Sunday, November 29. This decision comes after his parliamentary defeat last Friday, when he failed to secure approval of the housing decrees, with votes against from PP, Vox, Junts and UPN.
«After informing the head of state, I have decided to convene a Council of Ministers this very morning to dissolve the Cortes and hold general elections, which will be held within the scheduled timeframe on Sunday 29 November», Pedro Sánchez said. The PSOE leader added that they have had to «cope with the worst opposition in our democratic history» and defended the work of his Government.
Next, he urged Spaniards to decide whether they want our country to join the «ultra-right wave» that regresses and curtails rights or whether they want Spain to continue being «a bulwark of openness and social justice and environmental responsibility». The head of government delivered a positive assessment of his legislature, assuring that «we have the best economic results».
He also offered self-criticism, saying that «I know there is dissatisfaction on the left, I know we have made mistakes and we have not done everything we had promised. But to do more, we need to renew the support of the people». Following this decision, a calendar with several deadlines has opened up for the period leading to the Sunday 29 November elections.
Why are the elections on November 29?
Because this is the closest date on which general elections could be held in Spain, according to the Organic Law of the Electoral Regime. Once the decree calling the elections is published in the Official State Gazette on Tuesday October 6, the electoral period of 54 days will formally begin.
Alberto Núñez Feijóo y Santiago Abascal.
Key Dates on the Electoral Calendar
On Tuesday, October 6, the formal dissolution of the General Courts will take place and the period to request a vote by mail will begin. Friday the 16th will be the last legal day for political parties to announce their electoral coalitions before the Electoral Board. From Wednesday the 21st to Monday the 26th, the candidacy submission window for all parties and coalitions before the competent electoral boards will take place.
On Wednesday the 28th, the initially submitted candidacies will be published in the BOE, and between Saturday the 31st and Wednesday November 4th, the municipalities will hold the draws to designate the members of the electoral tables. After the BOE publishes the final lists of proclaimed candidacies, Friday November 13 at midnight will be the official start of the electoral campaign, which has a fixed duration of 15 days. After the day of reflection on Saturday the 28th, Sunday November 29 will be the time to go vote.
The Candidacies
The three candidates for the parties with the highest voting intentions seem clear, barring a last-minute surprise. Pedro Sánchez (PSOE), Alberto Núñez Feijóo (PP) and Santiago Abascal (Vox) will once again lead the lists of their respective formations. To the left of PSOE, the alternative left will have to negotiate the possibility of a grand coalition for a united candidacy. This is the case of Frente Amplio, the new project promoted by Movimiento Sumar, IU, Comuns and Más Madrid, which still does not have a designated candidate.
When will the government be formed?
After the electoral boards review and validate the provisional results of election night, the legal deadline for the inaugural session of the new Cortes Generales will coincide with Christmas Eve. Before that, on December 21, 22 or 23, the first consultations of King Felipe VI with the parties would take place. Therefore, the investiture of a new head of government could occur, in the fastest scenario, by mid- or late-January 2027.
