Spain's Socialist Party faces electoral backlash over Junts pact and amnesty talks

The 2023 general election left the People's Party short of an absolute majority, forcing the governing Socialist Party (PSOE) to seek support from the Catalan pro‑independence party Junts per Catalunya. The agreement, brokered by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, was intended to secure a governing majority but has been described by party insiders as an "enormous electoral cost" for the Socialists.

Internal dissent has grown across regional branches, with leaders in Castilla‑La Mancha, Aragón, Extremadura and Asturias criticizing the pact and the proposed amnesty law. The coalition has struggled to pass any budget, and the PSOE has recorded its worst electoral results in several autonomous communities. Critics argue the deal with Junts, led by exiled politician Carles Puigdemont, has damaged the party's standing among its traditional base.

The controversy continues to shape the PSOE's political outlook ahead of upcoming regional elections, as the party grapples with the fallout from the Junts agreement and the broader debate over the amnesty proposal.