The conservative chief of Spain's capital region turned Madrid this year into a European exception, where bars, restaurants, museums and concert halls remained open even as contagion rates strained hospitals.

The leader of the junior party in Spain's coalition government said on Monday March 15, 2021 he is leaving the Cabinet to run for regional office. Pablo Iglesias took the left-wing Juntos Podemos (United We Can) party into government 15 months ago with the Socialist party to take his place as deputy prime minister in charge of social rights. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)MADRID – The leader of the junior party in Spain’s coalition government announced Monday he is leaving the Cabinet to run for regional office. Iglesias said he had informed Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of his decision to stand in the May election for the Madrid regional government. ___This story has been corrected to show that the name of the party is Unidas Podemos, not Juntos Podemos.

Vox party leader Santiago Abascal walks past Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, left and 2nd Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias during a parliamentary session in Madrid, Spain, Thursday Oct. 22, 2020. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is facing a no-confidence vote in parliament brought by the nation's far-right Vox party. (Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Pool via AP)MADRID – Spanish lawmakers on Thursday overwhelmingly rejected a no-confidence motion called by the far-right Vox party against Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his left-wing coalition over their handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The motion was rejected by 298 votes and backed only by the 52 lawmakers of Vox, which last year became the third-largest force in the 350-seat parliament. Vox leader Santiago Abascal responded by saying that Casado's position was showing PP's true colors.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, left and 2nd deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias talk during a parliamentary session in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday Oct. 21, 2020. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez faces a no confidence vote in Parliament put forth by the far right opposition party VOX. If the no-confidence vote were to succeed, it would replace the current left-wing coalition government with one led by Vox leader Santiago Abascal. Many observers of Spanish politics consider the no-confidence vote as a way for the upstart Vox to put more pressure on the Popular Party. The Popular Party has been very critical of Sánchez, but Vox’s rise in recent years has come at the expense of the Spain’s traditional right-wing force.