Pedro Sanchez was re-elected leader of the National PSOE Party on Sunday with a massive 60% of the votes. Arch rival Susana Diaz collected 29% of votes cast while Patxi Lopez came in 3rd with just 10%.
Sanchez won took first place in the vote in every single Community, apart from Andalusia and the Basque Country, the stomping grounds of his two opponents.
The size of the vote was also reflected across the Vega Baja and in Orihuela City where he visited earlier in the month, Sanchez obtained 106 votes against the 52 of Susana Diaz, and the 23 of Patxi Lopez.
Sanchez stepped down from the party leadership last October after he refused to abstain from a vote that aimed to break the nine-month political deadlock, which eventually led to Mariano Rajoy, from the conservative People’s Party, becoming prime minister.
Despite his unexpectedly clear-cut victory, Mr. Sánchez faces an uphill struggle to revive a party that he led to two successive election defeats in which the Socialists received their lowest percentage of votes ever.
However, the new leader is now expected to toughen up the party’s opposition to the ruling Partido Popular.
