Opinion | Spain’s Prime Minister Toys With Separatism

Remember last summer when everyone was afraid that a far-right party could perform well in a Spanish election and endanger Spain and the European Union? Well it’s starting to look like the alternative was worse, after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Thursday struck a deal with regional separatists to stay in power.

Spain has suffered months of political uncertainty since an indecisive election in July. The center-right Popular Party led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo was the biggest winner, with a plurality of popular votes and legislative seats, but right-leaning parties failed to win enough seats in total to form a coalition government. Partly this was because voters rebuffed the Vox party, which is further to the PP’s right, amid a global media campaign warning the party was reactionary on social policy and a threat to Spain’s standing in the EU.