Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

Spain's Rajoy says general election likely on December 20

Published 09/03/2015, 05:12 AM
Updated 09/03/2015, 05:18 AM
© Reuters. Spain's PM Rajoy speaks during the opening of a political event of the ruling Popular Party (PP) at a castle in the Galician village of Soutomaior, northern Spain

© Reuters. Spain's PM Rajoy speaks during the opening of a political event of the ruling Popular Party (PP) at a castle in the Galician village of Soutomaior, northern Spain

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain will probably hold national elections on December 20, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Thursday, leaving him less than four months to persuade Spaniards an economic recovery is good enough to warrant giving him a second term in office.

"Once the budget is approved ... I will call elections... They will be in December," Rajoy said in an interview with COPE radio. Elections are due by year-end.

Pressing for the exact date, the journalist asked if he could conclude from the interview that the most likely date for the election was Dec. 20.

Rajoy replied: "Use the headline you said: The most likely thing is that Spain will hold elections on Dec. 20."

His center-right People's Party's hold on power has been loosened not only by its mainstream rival, the Socialists, but also from two newcomers, business-friendly Ciudadanos and left-wing Podemos, which have proved attractive to voters still struggling in the aftermath of economic crisis and what many view as a corruption-tainted establishment.

A strong economic turnaround, which is set to make Spain one of Europe's fastest-growing economies this year, has seen Rajoy's party extend its lead in the polls.

But it remains well short of an absolute majority and the question for many Spaniards is whether the improving economy is filtering down to their daily lives. Unemployment is falling but remains above 20 percent.

In the interview, Rajoy also reiterated his implacable opposition to Catalan independence, saying: "Catalan independence will never happen. It's nonsense."

© Reuters. Spain's PM Rajoy speaks during the opening of a political event of the ruling Popular Party (PP) at a castle in the Galician village of Soutomaior, northern Spain

Catalan President Arturo Mas has scheduled regional elections for Sept. 27, portraying them as a proxy vote on independence after Rajoy's government went to court last year to block a referendum on the northeastern region breaking away from Spain.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.