Spanish Parliament Rejects Shorter Workweek Bill, Sets Back Sanchez Government

Spain's lower house of parliament voted down a bill aimed at reducing the workweek from 40 to 37.5 hours, marking a significant setback for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialist-led minority government. The legislation, championed by Deputy Prime Minister and Labor Minister Yolanda Diaz and supported by main trade unions and the leftist Sumar party, was blocked by a coalition of opposition parties including the conservative People's Party, far-right Vox, and the Catalan separatist Junts party. Opponents argued that the shorter workweek would impose higher costs on small businesses and farmers, potentially leading to job losses. Despite this defeat, Diaz vowed to reintroduce the bill, emphasizing a continued commitment to the reform amid ongoing political challenges, including Sanchez's struggle to pass an overdue budget and corruption scandals affecting his administration. The parliamentary rejection reflects the broader difficulties Sanchez faces in governing a fragmented parliament with rising far-right influence.