Progressive and left-wing forces have condemned the attack on the headquarters of the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) in Madrid by a right-wing mob on Monday, November 6.
The ongoing protests by the conservative People’s Party and far-right groups, including Vox, triggered by the PSOE-led acting government’s plan to grant amnesty to the leaders of the Catalan independence protests, turned violent on Monday.
A section of protesters tried to barge into the PSOE office and clashed with the police. The leadership of the PSOE and the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) denounced the attack and termed the ongoing right-wing protests as an attempt to derail democracy in the country.
The Spanish general elections in July this year threw up a hung parliament with no party or coalition gaining a simple majority in the 350-seat Chamber of Deputies.
The conservative People’s Party (PP) of Alberto Núñez Feijoo emerged as the single largest party with 137 seats and 33.1% votes. It fell well short of the simple majority of 176 seats and the right-wing Vox party also faced a setback in the poll, ending the possibility of the PP-Vox right-wing coalition government.
Meanwhile, defying predictions, the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) led by incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez managed to hold its ground and secured 121 seats with 31.7% votes.
Currently, the acting prime minister Pedro Sanchez, along with his coalition partners, has been trying to form a working coalition with Catalan and Basque nationalists and Republican groups.
In this scenario, the acting government has proposed amnesty for the leadership of the Catalan independence protests, including the leadership of Junts per Catalunya, which has 7 MPs in the Chamber of Deputies.
The People’s Party and Vox have been trying to use this opportunity to whip up nationalist sentiments across the country.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that “attacking PSOE headquarters is an attack on democracy and all who believe in it. But more than 140 years of history remind us that no one will ever be able to intimidate the PSOE.”
Enrique Santiago, leader of the Communist Party of Spain (PCE), called on all pf Spanish society to remain calm in the face of right-wing attempts to destabilize democracy. He alleged that “the right-wing has never hesitated to end democracy when they have seen their power and their privileges threatened.”
