Madrid (EFE).- Citizens have configured the next Parliament with their votes. They have defined what Congress will be like and have outlined what the Senate will be like. But this is only the beginning.
From now on, Spanish politics begins a journey plagued with doubts. There is only one certainty: the constitution sessions of Congress and the Senate, the Cortes Generales, will be held on August 17. This was established in the electoral summons decree.
But, from then on… Uncertainty.
Below are the steps that national politics has to take to elucidate the formation of a new government, which seems complicated because there are no clear majorities on either the left or the right. The king, protagonist of the stage that opens, has before him a complicated role.
1. Constitution of Congress: August 17
The 350 deputies and deputies, after obtaining the credentials of the provincial electoral boards as elected, will go to Congress until the eve of August 17 to formalize a series of procedures, necessary for them to receive the full status of deputy. They have to fill out a declaration of assets, among other requirements.
It will be on August 17 when, after swearing or promising the position, called by name by whoever exercises the Presidency of Congress, they officially become parliamentarians.
In this, in addition to the election of the Presidency and the other eight positions that make up the Table of the Chamber, its most important body, consists of the constitutive session of the Cortes. But we will stop at the first of the Chambers because the investiture will take place here.
2. King’s round of consultations: end of August?
The new president or president of Congress will go to see the monarch after said session to inform him about which political parties or formations won at least one seat in the elections.
The usual thing is that one or two weeks after the Cortes have been constituted, the king calls those parties, which is usually in an order from least to greatest parliamentary representation. This will last more or less days depending on how many representatives attend.
From that round comes one of the milestones of the procedure that is activated from this very Monday: the king proposes a candidate for parliamentary investiture. He is usually the winner of the elections.
3. Investiture, attempt 1. First week of September?
This is likely to happen between the last week of August and the first week of September. It will correspond to the Presidency of Congress to determine the date of the investiture session.
What will happen next conforms to article 99 of the Constitution and the regulations of Congress.
That candidate (who, to be more precise, would only be Alberto Núñez Feijóo or Pedro Sánchez) will open the day with the presentation of a government program. Then the representatives of the other groups will intervene to establish a position.
According to the deadlines and schedules assessed by the Presidency of the Chamber, there will be a first vote to determine if that candidate obtains an absolute majority to be invested, that is, the yes of at least 176 deputies.
If that result comes out, the king will name a new president who will be able, consequently, to form a government.
If it does not come out, a second vote will be held 48 hours later, preceded by shorter interventions from both the candidate and the groups. The simple majority will now be valid, more yes than no.
If that is the case, that there is a majority, there will be a new president and a new government.
4. Investitures: several attempts? elections in december?
But the second vote fails. It is relevant to take into account the date, let’s say that we are around September 6-8, because if the investiture does not come out, first attempt, a period established by the Constitution and the regulations of Congress is activated.
In both it is said that the previous process will be repeated: the king will reunite the groups, will nominate a candidate again, there will be a session in Congress again and a vote will be taken again.
And if it fails, another; and if it fails, another… And so on as many times as necessary but within a time limit: two months.
Because if two months pass from the first vote of the first investiture session and no attempt succeeds, the king will dissolve the Cortes and call new elections.
If this hypothesis is fulfilled, we would be at the beginning of November, more or less. And since 54 days have to elapse from the call to the elections, there would be polls, again, in December.