Polls during the 2023 campaign pointed to an absolute majority for the PP and VOX, with one projection putting the two parties at around 190 seats. The PSOE hoped a televised confrontation could help Pedro Sánchez regain ground. Sánchez had called the early election after the PSOE’s poor results in local and regional elections; the vote was held on 23 July 2023.
Sánchez and Alberto Núñez Feijóo held their first face-to-face debate on Atresmedia. Sánchez's performance fell below expectations among his own supporters, and the encounter became a turning point in the campaign. In the 350-seat Congress, the PP won 137 seats and the PSOE 121. Vox took 33, while Sumar won 31. The PP and Vox together won 170 seats, six short of the 176 needed for an absolute majority. The PP received 8,091,840 votes (33.05%), while the PSOE received 7,760,970 (31.70%).
In the following days, the PSOE attacked Feijóo over what it described as lies by the PP candidate. Other campaign coverage included a report about RTVE's parliamentary debate plans.
More than three years later, the two leaders had also faced each other repeatedly in Congress control sessions, challenging one another's positions week after week.
