(Bloomberg) -- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez should seek a vote of confidence in parliament, according to one of the parties that supported his election as premier.
Sanchez must request a confidence vote because he’s not trustworthy, Catalan separatist Carles Puigdemont said at a press conference on Monday. Puigdemont, who leads the pro-independence party Junts, said he has not discussed this request with other parties.
“I have no interest or need” to request a vote of confidence, Sanchez told reporters in Madrid on Monday.
Under Spanish rules, only the government can request a vote of confidence. Other parties can request a no-confidence vote to replace the premier, but would require a majority in parliament for it to be successful.
Sanchez first became premier in 2018 by leading the first successful no-confidence vote in Spanish history against conservative leader Mariano Rajoy. After the 2023 election, he continued as premier with support from a group of eight parties, including Junts.
Puigdemont’s party has only seven lawmakers in parliament but has been kingmaker since the inconclusive election in July 2023. It has voted both for and against government proposals on major legislation.
(Adds comment from Sanchez in third paragraph.)
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