Podemos Withdraws Support from Spanish Coalition Government Over Israel Criticism
The Podemos party, a junior partner of the coalition government in Spain, has announced that it will no longer act with the left-wing Sumar Movement in political decisions in the Parliament. Instead, Podemos will move to the Mixed Group.
The decision comes after Podemos was not allowed to speak in a general assembly session led by Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, where the Parliament was informed about the conflicts between Israel and Palestine. Podemos Parliament Spokesperson Javier Sanchez Serna stated that the party decided to leave Sumar and continue independently after this incident.
Serna also expressed frustration at not being given a ministry in the newly formed government and described it as a “coup”. He emphasized that Podemos was not given the right to speak in the session on Israel and Palestine, which was the last straw for the party.
The withdrawal of direct support from Podemos, which has 5 MPs in the Parliament, will make it more challenging for the coalition government to pass future decisions in the Parliament. The Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) and Sumar coalition government, which received a vote of confidence with 179 votes on November 16, already relies on the support of 6 external political parties. This shift in support may pose challenges for the government in the future.
