PM announces early election in April

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday announced an early general election for April 28. Socialist Party leader Sanchez made the announcement in a statement to the media from his official residence in the Palacio de la Moncloa in Madrid, less than 48 hours after his government’s proposals for the 2019 budget were defeated in parliament. “Between two options — not doing anything and continuing without a budget, or … giving Spaniards their say — I choose the second,” Sanchez said. “After talking with my ministers in a cabinet meeting, I propose dissolving parliament” in early March, read the statement, adding that King Felipe VI had been informed of the decision.