Battle lines redrawn in Spain’s snap election after latest train disaster
A deadly train crash in Spain has shifted the political landscape ahead of a snap general election, forcing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to defend his government's safety record. The tragedy has dampened the intensity of the campaign, which was previously focused on ideological clashes between the left and the right.
Why it matters
The incident demonstrates how unexpected national tragedies can disrupt political momentum and alter the focus of electoral campaigns.
Pedro Sánchez at a meeting in Urda on Thursday, a day after the crash. Photograph: Sergio R Moreno/GTRES/Shutterstock Pedro Sánchez at a meeting in Urda on Thursday, a day after the crash. Photograph: Sergio R Moreno/GTRES/Shutterstock Spain Analysis Battle lines redrawn in Spain’s snap election after latest train disaster Sam Jones in Madrid Next month’s poll no longer the contest it was, as Pedro Sánchez finds himself forced to defend government’s safety record
One of the most dependable cliches of contemporary Spanish politics is that it never pays to bet against Pedro Sánchez . Time and time again – as leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE) and as prime minister – Sánchez has shown an almost preternatural ability to profit from adversity, and to confound expectations and wrongfoot his opponents.
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