Spain’s PM Pedro Sánchez calls surprise general election on 23 July

Spain's prime minister Pedro Sánchez has called a general election in the country on 23 July. The surprise announcement from the Palacio de la Moncloa was made at 11am this Monday, 29 May.

It was the first time that the PSOE leader Sánchez had spoken since his party’s poor showing in the local elections across the country and some regional elections - although not in Andalucía - on Sunday.

"The formal call for elections will be published tomorrow in the BOE [Official State Gazette], the elections will be held on Sunday, 23 July," he said.

The prime minister stressed that he believes that the best thing is for the Spanish people to "take the floor" now, ahead of the expected general election date at the end of the year, "in view of the results of the elections held yesterday" which will result in many of his party's "magnificent mayors and leaders" being displaced despite having an "impeccable policy".

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Spain swings to the right in the polls with Partido Popular claiming victory in the regional elections

The declaration came just hours after the Socialists suffered a heavy defeat at the polls, losing in the municipal elections against the PP and ceding control a good part of the regions in which it governed.

Just three of the 12 Spanish regions that held elections are likely to continue with Socialist leadership, but the rest were won by the conservative Partido Popular, although some will need to form coalitions with the far-right Vox party.

On a local level, PSOE also suffered a setback in Barcelona city with a pro-independence party winning and the Socialist party was stripped of almost all its territorial power, left without 15 of the 22 provincial capitals in which it used to govern.