The July 2023 Spanish general election produced a hung parliament, leading to Pedro Sánchez's re-election via a controversial deal with Catalan separatist parties.
Key Facts
- Congress seats contested
- 350 (all seats)
- Senate seats contested
- 208 of 266
- PP seats won (Congress)
- 137
- Sumar seats won (Congress)
- 31
- First July election since
- 1839
- Sánchez investiture date
- 16 November 2023
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Poor results for the left-wing bloc in the May 2023 regional and local elections, with losses to the PP and Vox across most of Spain, prompted Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to dissolve parliament early. The move was described as a strategic gamble to prevent a prolonged lame-duck period and catch the opposition off guard ahead of the scheduled 2023 election cycle.
On 23 July 2023, Spanish voters elected the 15th Cortes Generales, with all 350 Congress of Deputies seats and 208 Senate seats at stake. The PP emerged as the largest party with 137 seats but fell short of polling expectations, while the PSOE outperformed surveys. Neither the left nor right bloc secured a majority, leaving the balance of power with smaller regionalist and Catalan nationalist parties.
Following a failed investiture attempt by PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo, Pedro Sánchez negotiated support from Junts and other peripheral nationalist parties. Sánchez won re-election on 16 November 2023 with an absolute majority on the first ballot, avoiding a repeat election for the first time since 2011 and marking a significant reliance on Catalan separatist backing for government formation.
Political Outcome
Hung parliament; PP won most seats (137) but no majority. Pedro Sánchez (PSOE) re-elected Prime Minister on 16 November 2023 via coalition deal with Junts and regionalist parties.
Left-wing PSOE–Unidas Podemos coalition government under Pedro Sánchez
New Sánchez government backed by PSOE, Sumar, Junts, and peripheral nationalist parties