Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez faces warnings of a turbulent six-week period ahead of general elections on November 29, during which his government could deploy executive decrees and bypass parliamentary votes. Political commentator Alfredo Semprun outlined the warning in an analysis published on October 7, stating that the administration retains full executive powers before entering caretaker status after the polls open.
Semprun wrote that Sanchez and his political team possess extensive experience in legislative maneuvers. He cautioned political opponents to move carefully against potential legislative traps during the final weeks of the campaign, comparing the challenge of removing the prime minister from office to an epic fantasy battle against a thrashing dragon.
A central concern raised in the commentary involves the potential use of the Congressional Permanent Deputation to enact decrees that failed to pass the full legislature. Semprun pointed to a precedent from 2019, when Sanchez re-passed a defeated housing decree through the standing parliamentary body.
Critics at the time denounced the 2019 housing maneuver as a fraud of the law. However, the Constitutional Court, chaired by conservative magistrate Juan Jose Gonzalez Rivas, determined that the action fell within the legal authority of the Permanent Deputation and validated the legislative procedure.
The Congressional Permanent Deputation is a specialized standing committee of the Congress of Deputies, Spain's lower house of parliament. It maintains legislative continuity and handles urgent government business when parliament is dissolved or between ordinary sessions. The Constitutional Court serves as Spain's supreme judicial authority on constitutional law.
Congressional Decrees and Executive Orders
Semprun stated that because the government remains fully empowered until election day, Spain could see a rapid series of executive decrees. He noted that such a push could proceed unless the Basque Nationalist Party chooses to vote against the administration in the standing committee.
The commentary compared potential rapid executive actions to historical figures who exercised extensive executive authority. Semprun referenced King Louis XIV of France as well as US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who signed 3,780 executive orders during his twelve years in office.
The Basque Nationalist Party, known as the PNV, is a regionalist political party in the Basque Country that has frequently held pivotal balance of power votes in the Spanish parliament. Franklin D. Roosevelt served as the 32nd US President from 1933 to 1945, relying heavily on executive orders during the Great Depression and World War II, while Louis XIV governed France in the 17th and 18th centuries with absolute royal authority.
Democratic Legitimacy and Public Spending
Semprun argued that Sanchez has consistently refused to accept standard mechanisms of representative democracy. According to the commentary, Sanchez views parliamentary majorities that reject his proposals as failing to represent the broader social majority.
The article asserted that Sanchez views activist groups like the Tenants' Union as holding a stronger claim to national sovereignty than elected members of parliament. The Tenants' Union, or Sindicato de Inquilinas, is a Spanish housing advocacy organization that campaigns for tenant protections and rent regulation.
Semprun also warned that the administration could issue public debt to mobilize 10 billion euros in subsidies. He claimed that Sanchez has governed for the past three years without formal national budgets, relying instead on European Union funding streams and increased tax burdens on private corporations, which he alleged the administration views as hostile entities acting in the shadows.
La Moncloa serves as the official residence and workplace of the Spanish Prime Minister in Madrid. Government operations also utilize the Falcon, a Dassault Falcon executive jet operated by the Spanish Air and Space Force for presidential transport, and La Mareta, a royal estate on the island of Lanzarote used for official holidays.
Post-Election Reforms and Institutional Safeguards
Looking ahead to the outcome of the November 29 vote, Semprun wrote that if the election results lead to a change in government, opposition leaders Alberto Nunez Feijoo and Santiago Abascal will need to reach a political agreement.
Semprun argued that their main priority must be to fortify democratic institutions and defend the legal framework. He stated that new legislation should close regulatory loopholes to prevent future political leaders and demagogues from bypassing the democratic spirit of the law.
The commentary specified that prospective reforms should address issues ranging from amnesty legislation to the operating rules of the Congressional Permanent Deputation, alongside potential changes to Spain's electoral system.
Alberto Nunez Feijoo leads the conservative People's Party, known as the PP, which forms the main center-right opposition in Spain. Santiago Abascal leads Vox, a right-wing political party represented in the Congress of Deputies.
