By Ed Frankl 
 

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called a snap summer general election on Monday, a day after his centre-left Socialist Party suffered heavy losses in regional and local elections.

The country was due to hold elections in December, but Sanchez, in power since 2018, made a surprise announcement to dissolve parliament and call a national poll for July 23.

It came after the Socialists lost control of some of Spain's key regions and cities to the centre-right Popular Party, which made sweeping gains.

"These results call for a clarification of the direction the government must take, and the only method is through democracy. Spaniards must have their say and decide once again on the direction the country should take," Sanchez said.

However, Sunday's election results suggest that Sanchez, whose party is currently in a coalition with the leftist Podemos, will face a difficult task in staying in office.

A resurgent PP will also likely need the backing of another party, in its case the far-right Vox, to form a government of the European Union's fourth-largest country.

Write to Ed Frankl at edward.frankl@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 29, 2023 06:47 ET (10:47 GMT)