Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez calls early election for July 23

Pedro Sanchez, Spain’s prime minister, has called an early general election for July 23 after his party suffered a significant setback in local and regional polls.

In a televised address to the nation on Monday, Sanchez said he had informed King Felipe VI of his decision to dissolve parliament.It came a day after his Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and its junior ally, Podemos, lost ground in the elections while its rivals, the conservative People’s Party (PP) and far-right Vox party outperformed.

“I took the decision when looking at the results of the elections of yesterday,” Sanchez said.

“Although yesterday’s elections had a local and regional scope, the meaning of the vote conveys a message that goes beyond that,” he said. “That is why, as both prime minister and PSOE’s secretary general, I personally assume the results.”

Sanchez had previously said he would complete his four-year term.

The regional polls were widely seen as a dress rehearsal for a general election that was expected to occur at the end of the year.