Vox Back Down From Ministerial Demands, Narrow Path Opens For PP

Euractivand Reuters reporting that the right-wing nationalist Vox party has stepped down from its demands to sit as part of a coalition gov't alongside the centre-right Popular Party (PP), potentially opening a path to a successful investiture vote for PP head Alberto Nunez Feijoo. On 6 August, Vox stated that its 33 deputies would “support a majority” for a PP-led bloc, marking the first time that the party had not explicitly demanded inclusion in a governing coalition and ministerial positions.

• Other regionalist parties had stated that they would not support any gov't involving Vox, leaving the parties of the right short of the support required to win an investiture vote. It remains unclear if either the single deputy from the Canarian Coalition or the five Basque National Party (PNV) deputies will now back Feijoo in an investiture vote. Both had previously ruled out supporting an administration involving Vox.
• The centre-left PSOE of acting PM Pedro Sanchez also has a slim but possible route to retaining power. It would require the support of all regionalist parties, including the hardline separatist Junts por Catalunya, which has previously demanded a legal independence referendum for Catalonia as its price.
• The new parliament convenes on 17 August, after which the King must put forward a candidate for PM in an investiture vote. At present it remains unclear whether Feijoo (as head of the largest party) or Sanchez (as the candidate most likely to garner enough support in an investiture vote) will be put forwards first.