Junts and PP force Congress vote demanding early elections as government brushes off pressure

Junts and PP unite behind election demand

Junts registered an amendment on Tuesday to a PP motion, explicitly calling on President Pedro Sánchez to dissolve the Cortes and call early general elections. The PP simultaneously submitted its own amendment with the same objective. PP spokesperson Ester Muñoz framed the vote as a de facto confidence motion, stating that if Sánchez loses the vote, he will have to trigger elections.

If Pedro Sánchez loses this vote, he will have to call general elections.

The initiative carries no legal force, but both parties described it as a way to expose the government’s parliamentary weakness. Muñoz insisted it would make clear that Sánchez lacks democratic backing in the chamber.

Government dismisses the initiative

Moncloa downplayed the amendment’s significance, recalling that the power to dissolve parliament rests solely with the president. Government spokesperson Elma Saiz said she respected but did not share the initiative, and stressed that the executive remains focused on its political agenda and intends to complete the legislature through 2027 and beyond.

This government has an impeccable service record. It has never stopped working and continues to look ahead to 2027 and beyond.

Government sources described the move as another episode of political pressure from Junts and ruled out any practical impact on the executive’s stability.

ERC warns against aimless endurance

ERC spokesman Gabriel Rufián warned that merely holding on until the mandate expires would be pointless and called for concrete action on housing speculation and fairer taxation. He said people deserve a left that does not provoke shame, and urged former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and Civil Guard director Mercedes González to give full explanations regarding ongoing accusations.

Holding on for nothing is foolish. People deserve a left that does not make them ashamed.

Rufián questioned whether the coalition’s goal was simply to cling to power, adding that “first-year leftist basics” are that the others are worse.

PSOE opposes the vote as political cowardice

PSOE spokesman Patxi López announced his party’s opposition to the Thursday plenary vote, calling it an act of political cowardice. He argued that if the opposition wants to bring down the government, the PP should present a proper motion of no confidence, rather than a non-binding text. López maintained that dissolving the legislature is not a power of Congress but an exclusive decision of the president.

What comes next

The non-binding vote is scheduled for Thursday 18 June. Even if the amendment passes with support from the PP, Vox, and Junts, it cannot legally compel an election. The PNV faces a dilemma and has not declared its position, adding to parliamentary uncertainty.