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Spain election: Socialists win amid far-right breakthrough | Spain election: Socialists win amid far-right breakthrough |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Spain's ruling Socialists have claimed victory in the third election in four years, but have fallen short of a majority. | |
PM Pedro Sánchez's party polled 29% and will need the help of either left-wing Podemos and regional parties or the centre right to form a government. | |
For the first time since military rule ended in the 1970s, a far-right party is set to enter parliament. | For the first time since military rule ended in the 1970s, a far-right party is set to enter parliament. |
Vox opposes multiculturalism, feminism and unrestricted migration. | Vox opposes multiculturalism, feminism and unrestricted migration. |
With almost all the results in, Vox was on more than 10% of the vote, which would give it 24 seats in the 350-seat parliament. | |
In his victory speech, Mr Sánchez said the party's big challenges were to fight inequality, advance co-existence and halt corruption. "The future has won and the past has lost," he told cheering supporters. | |
The other big story of the election was the collapse in support for the Popular Party (PP), which governed Spain until it was dumped from power in May 2018 in a no-confidence vote. | |
The Socialists won 123 seats while their former coalition partner, Podemos, won 42. | |
That leaves the two parties 11 seats short of the necessary 176 for a majority. | |
Mr Sánchez could make up the numbers with smaller regional parties, including Basque nationalists, but he is likely to need the help of Catalan pro-independence parties, which withdrew their support for his government last month, forcing the election. | |
The centre-left Catalan ERC was the big winner in Catalonia, with a projected 15 seats. Its leader, Oriol Junqueras, is in jail for his role in declaring independence in October 2017. | The centre-left Catalan ERC was the big winner in Catalonia, with a projected 15 seats. Its leader, Oriol Junqueras, is in jail for his role in declaring independence in October 2017. |
In its worst election ever, the PP won just 65 seats, down from 137 in the previous parliament. | |
The historic defeat means that, even with the support of centre-right Ciudadanos (Citizens) and Vox, the PP has no chance of forming a coalition. | |
Turnout was 75.8%, the biggest for several years and 9% higher than the previous election in 2016. | |
Who are Vox? | Who are Vox? |
Led by Santiago Abascal, a former member of the conservative PP, the party has emerged in a matter of months with a vow to "make Spain great again". | Led by Santiago Abascal, a former member of the conservative PP, the party has emerged in a matter of months with a vow to "make Spain great again". |
It won seats for the first time in local elections in the southern Andalusia region, and agreed to support a centre-right coalition of the PP and Ciudadanos. | It won seats for the first time in local elections in the southern Andalusia region, and agreed to support a centre-right coalition of the PP and Ciudadanos. |
Vox rejects the far-right label but its views on immigration and Islam place it in line with far-right and populist parties elsewhere in Europe. | Vox rejects the far-right label but its views on immigration and Islam place it in line with far-right and populist parties elsewhere in Europe. |
It wants to repeal laws against gender violence, and opposes abortion and same-sex marriage. Critics see it as a nationalist throwback to fascist dictator Francisco Franco, who ruled Spain until his death in 1975. | It wants to repeal laws against gender violence, and opposes abortion and same-sex marriage. Critics see it as a nationalist throwback to fascist dictator Francisco Franco, who ruled Spain until his death in 1975. |
Vox aims to deport migrants legally entitled to be in Spain if they have committed an offence, and wants to prevent any migrant who comes in illegally from staying. | Vox aims to deport migrants legally entitled to be in Spain if they have committed an offence, and wants to prevent any migrant who comes in illegally from staying. |
Can Sánchez form a government? | |
He can choose either to look to the left or to the centre right. | |
If he looks left, the leader of his earlier coalition partner Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, made clear on Sunday night that another administration was possible. | |
But the results appear to make any left-coalition dependent on Catalan pro-independence parties, which opponents on the right see as toxic. | |
The Socialists could govern instead with the centre-right Ciudadanos, but leader Albert Rivera was bitterly critical of Mr Sánchez's collaboration with Catalan separatists, referring to his earlier "Frankenstein government". | |
As the Socialist leader gave his victory speech late on Sunday, supporters chanted "Not with Rivera!", making it clear they did not want a coalition with Ciudadanos. | |
Why is Catalonia so important? | |
The future of Spain's north-eastern region was one of the big issues of the election. | |
The semi-autonomous region held an independence referendum in October 2017 and then declared its independence from Spain. | The semi-autonomous region held an independence referendum in October 2017 and then declared its independence from Spain. |
A dozen of its leaders have since gone on trial in Madrid, facing charges including rebellion and sedition. Mr Junqueras was Catalan vice-president when he was arrested. | A dozen of its leaders have since gone on trial in Madrid, facing charges including rebellion and sedition. Mr Junqueras was Catalan vice-president when he was arrested. |
Analysts say support for Vox has been boosted by widespread anger at the independence drive. The party fervently opposes any concessions to the secessionists. | Analysts say support for Vox has been boosted by widespread anger at the independence drive. The party fervently opposes any concessions to the secessionists. |
Where do the parties stand on key issues? | Where do the parties stand on key issues? |