For Pedro Sánchez, it was a hard landing in the lowlands of domestic politics.

At the NATO summit in Madrid, the Spanish prime minister presented himself as a transatlantic statesman.

In his left-wing government, however, there is a mood of crisis, the coalition committee meets.

The junior partner of the Unidas Podemos Party (UP) does not want to go along with the promises that Sánchez made to the NATO partners without resistance.

The socialist head of government had pledged to significantly increase Spain's defense spending and instructed the finance minister to make a one-billion-euro loan in advance.

Hans Christian Roessler

Political correspondent for the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb based in Madrid.

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His partners on the left felt left out.

Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz waited until the last heads of state had left.

Then the deputy prime minister, who had hitherto been forgiving, chose clearer words than ever before.

Such a difficult issue must be approached "with respect for the allies," she said, visibly annoyed.

Podemos wants to increase social spending

Podemos leader Ione Belarra was even more explicit.

"Spending money on weapons at the request of a foreign power is not part of the budget our country needs," said the social rights minister.

Her party is calling for social spending to be increased - not the military budget, which is to increase from the current level of just over one percent to two percent of economic output by 2029.

That would mean a doubling of spending, currently a good twelve billion euros.

In addition, Podemos announced that he would vote against the stationing of two more American destroyers at the naval base in Rota.

Sánchez and American President Joe Biden had agreed on this.

Tensions in the first governing coalition in the history of Spanish democracy had already been rising.

Podemos attacked Sánchez because of his initially hesitant reaction to the more than 30 dead at the Melilla border fence – like his lonely decision in the spring to change course towards Morocco in the Western Sahara conflict.

The primary campaign has already begun

In the meantime, both sides are trying to smooth things over.

She wants "more coalition than ever," says Yolanda Díaz.

But people should not suffer from a higher defense budget.

So far, UP had not failed in the end of arms deliveries to Ukraine and the dispatch of additional Spanish soldiers.

Sánchez would like to conclude a cross-party "state pact".

Conservative PP signals support on defence, but imposes conditions.

The coalition partners do not want to let it come to a rupture.

Early elections could mean a quick end for the left-wing minority government.

This was shown by their losses in the regional elections in Andalusia, as well as the most recent polls: the PP, under its new leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has overtaken the Socialists and would become the strongest force in parliament.

Together with the right-wing populist Vox party, she would have the absolute majority.

Normal elections are not due until the end of 2023, but the primary campaign has already begun.

Yolanda Díaz, who is a communist herself and is one of the most popular politicians in Spain, is already working on her own non-partisan platform.

'Sumar', which translates to add or add up, is intended to pool the political forces to the left of the Socialists and not just be an appendage of Podemos.

She is currently conducting a "hearing process" across the country, this Friday for the first time in the capital at Matadero Station, Madrid's old slaughterhouse.

The attention will be great.