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Far right wins seats in Spanish region for first time since Franco Far right wins seats in Spanish region for first time since Franco
(about 11 hours later)
A far-right party has won seats in a Spanish regional parliament for the first time since the country returned to democracy following the death of longtime dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. A far-right party has won 12 seats in the Andalucían regional parliament while the ruling socialists suffered a devastating blow in their longtime heartland in elections at the weekend.
With 99% of the votes counted in Andalucía, the small Vox party took 12 seats in the 109-member regional parliament. Vox, a small but increasingly vocal party that opposes Catalan independence and has vowed to take a tough line on immigration and abortion, has become the first avowedly far-right group to win seats since Spain’s return to democracy following he death of Francisco Franco in 1975.
The Socialists won the election, but saw their support plummet to just 33 seats, compared to 47 in 2015 – far from the majority of 55 seats needed to govern. The party exceeded all predictions and could now hold the key to the formation of the next government of the populous southern region.
Thousands march in Spain to oppose violence against women
The result means that Vox, which opposes illegal immigration and Catalan independence, has exceeded even the most optimistic poll predictions which had forecast a possible five seat win. The party’s platform includes restricting abortion and rolling back domestic violence laws.
Vox had not previously held any seats in any legislative body in Spain since its founding four years ago, and now it has the key to forming a government in the nation’s most populated region.
“Now is the moment to say loud and clear who we are and that we have come to stay,” Vox candidate Francisco Serrano told a crowd of supporters who chanted: “Spain! Spain! Spain!”
There has been a real loss of ground for the Left
Andalucía has been a Socialist bastion for 36 years, but the party could lose control of the government if parties on the right join forces to oust regional leader Susana Diaz, though that would require that they join forces with Vox.
“Despite winning the election it is a sad night for the Socialist Party,” Diaz said.
“There has been a real loss of ground for the Left. But the worst thing is that the extreme right, a phenomenon that has appeared in the rest of Europe, has arrived here.”
Diaz said she would call on other parties to “build a firewall against the extreme right in Spain.”
Spanish prime minister facing first test as Andalucía goes to pollsSpanish prime minister facing first test as Andalucía goes to polls
“Each party must decide if they are against the extreme right or if they will rely on their support to enter into government,” she said. Although the Spanish socialist party (PSOE) won the elections, taking 33 of the 109 seats in the regional parliament, its support collapsed in an area it has ruled since 1982.
The Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) scored the worst result in its history winning 33 seats so far. “Despite winning the election it is a sad night for the socialist party,” said the PSOE’s regional leader, Susana Díaz.
Spain, Andalusia regional elections (99% counted)PSOE-S&D: 28.0% (-7.4)PP-EPP: 20.8% (-5.9)Cs-ALDE: 18.3% (+9)AA-LEFT: 16.2% (-5.6)VOX-ECR/ENF: 11% (+10.5)PACMA-LEFT: 1.9% (+1.1)AxSi-*: 0.6% (+0.6)More: https://t.co/qKfblsdXF8#EleccionesAndalucía #AndaluciaL6 #Spain pic.twitter.com/cc3ihsUA9E “There has been a real loss of ground for the left. But the worst thing is that the extreme right, a phenomenon that has appeared in the rest of Europe, has arrived here.”
Its potential ally on the left Adelante Andalusia (Forward Andalusia) picked up only 17 seats, depriving the left of a majority, while the conservative Popular Party (PP) won 26 seats and the Ciudadanos liberals took 21 seats. Diaz said she would call on other parties to “build a firewall against the extreme right in Spain”, adding: “Each party must decide if they are against the extreme right or if they will rely on their support to enter into government.”
The poll had been seen as the first of a series of tests for Socialist prime minister Pedro Sanchez. Two members of Vox shouted insults at Diaz when she cast her ballot early in Seville early on Sunday. Vox said both people had been removed from their positions as voting monitors due to “inappropriate behaviour”.
It was Sanchez’s first electoral test since taking office in June after winning a surprise vote of no-confidence in parliament against the previous PP government of Mariano Rajoy over a corruption scandal. Even with the support of the Podemos-led Adelante Andalucía coalition – which won 17 seats – the PSOE would still be short of the 55 seats needed for a majority in the regional parliament.
His Socialists had ruled Andalusia since 1982. The conservative People’s party (PP) took 26 seats on Sunday, while the centre-right Ciudadanos party won 21. Were the two rightwing parties to join forces with Vox, they would jointly command a majority, with 59 seats.
The vote is a mere foretaste of the coming “super election year”: 2019 will see municipal, regional and European elections and perhaps even an early general election to coincide with the other May polls. “The Andalusians have made history … and got rid of 36 years of socialist rule,” said Vox leader Santiago Abascal.
All eyes will now be on Vox, which could try to use Andalusia as a springboard in next year’s elections. The far-right newcomer, which was formed by disenchanted former PP members, has capitalised on the Catalan independence crisis and on the record number of migrants and refugees arriving on Spanish shores this year.
Associated Press and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report “Now is the moment to say loud and clear who we are and that we have come to stay,” Vox candidate Francisco Serrano told a crowd of supporters who chanted: “Spain! Spain! Spain!”
The emergence of Vox has served to drag both the PP and Ciudadanos further from the centre ground as the Spanish right continues to fragment.
Until recently, the entire right spectrum – from centrist to extreme rightwing – was contained within the broad church of the PP.
However, the advent of Ciudadanos, and now Vox, is threatening the hegemony of the PP, which was forced from government this summer after becoming embroiled in a series of corruption scandals.
Sunday’s results will increase the pressure on the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez. The socialist leader had been hoping for a good showing in Andalucía to shore up his struggling, six-month-old administration.
The focus will now be on what happens next in Andalucía, and on next May’s municipal, regional and European elections.
Sunday’s result could make Sánchez think twice about calling a snap general election to coincide with the other votes.
Sánchez said in a tweet: “My government will carry on with its pro-European renovation project for Spain. The results in Andalucía strengthen our commitment to defending democracy and the constitution in the face of fear.”
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