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| Spain election: socialists to win most seats with far right resurgent | Spain election: socialists to win most seats with far right resurgent |
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| Spain’s ruling socialists appear to have won the most votes but fallen short of a majority in a snap general election likely to be marked by the national breakthrough of the far-right Vox party. | Spain’s ruling socialists appear to have won the most votes but fallen short of a majority in a snap general election likely to be marked by the national breakthrough of the far-right Vox party. |
| A poll for the state-owned broadcaster, RTVE, published after voting finished gave Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE) 116 to 121 seats, followed by the conservative People’s party (PP) with 69 to 73, the centre-right Citizens party with 48 to 49, the leftwing, anti-austerity coalition Unidas Podemos with 42 to 45, and Vox with 36 to 38. Another poll, for the conservative Spanish newspaper ABC, gave the PSOE 134 to 139 seats, the PP 81 to 86, Citizens 42 to 44, Unidas Podemos 27 and Vox 30 to 32. | |
| If the polling is correct, the PSOE will need to seek the support of others to reach the 176 seats necessary to form a government in Spain’s 350-seat congress of deputies. | If the polling is correct, the PSOE will need to seek the support of others to reach the 176 seats necessary to form a government in Spain’s 350-seat congress of deputies. |
| ‘We’re just proud to be Spanish’: why the far right is finding fertile ground | ‘We’re just proud to be Spanish’: why the far right is finding fertile ground |
| It also suggests Vox will be the first far-right grouping to win more than a single seat in congress since Spain returned to democracy after the death of General Franco in 1975. | |
| There was a surge in voter turnout in Sunday’s election, the country’s third in under four years. Two hours before voting ended at 8pm local time (1900 GMT), the interior ministry reported turnout was up nine percentage points on the last election in June 2016, rising from 51.2% to 60.8%. | There was a surge in voter turnout in Sunday’s election, the country’s third in under four years. Two hours before voting ended at 8pm local time (1900 GMT), the interior ministry reported turnout was up nine percentage points on the last election in June 2016, rising from 51.2% to 60.8%. |
| Speaking shortly after casting his ballot on Sunday, Sánchez said he wanted the election to yield a parliamentary majority to undertake the necessary social and political reforms. | Speaking shortly after casting his ballot on Sunday, Sánchez said he wanted the election to yield a parliamentary majority to undertake the necessary social and political reforms. |
| The Spanish Socialist Workers’ party has governed Spain since turfing the conservative People’s party out of office last year in a vote of no-confidence. But it has struggled to achieve its ambitious agenda as it is a minority government, holding only 84 of the 350 seats in the Spanish congress. Opponents accuse it of being weak and beholden to the Catalan separatists parties on whose support it relied to win power. | The Spanish Socialist Workers’ party has governed Spain since turfing the conservative People’s party out of office last year in a vote of no-confidence. But it has struggled to achieve its ambitious agenda as it is a minority government, holding only 84 of the 350 seats in the Spanish congress. Opponents accuse it of being weak and beholden to the Catalan separatists parties on whose support it relied to win power. |
| The rightwing party governed from 2011 until last year, when it was finally undone after a court case laid bare the corruption at its heart. In the case, Mariano Rajoy became the first serving PM to testify in a criminal case. He was succeeded as party leader by Pablo Casado, who has dragged the party much further to the right in the hope of seeing off the challenge from Vox. | The rightwing party governed from 2011 until last year, when it was finally undone after a court case laid bare the corruption at its heart. In the case, Mariano Rajoy became the first serving PM to testify in a criminal case. He was succeeded as party leader by Pablo Casado, who has dragged the party much further to the right in the hope of seeing off the challenge from Vox. |
| Along with Podemos, the young, the centre-right Citizens party achieved a breakthrough in the 2015 election, ending decades of PSOE and PP duopoly. The party has also shifted further to the right in recent months, and made the Catalan crisis a key focus. Its tough line on regional independence and rigorous defence of Spain’s national unity paid off in the 2017 Catalan regional elections, in which Citizens were the single biggest winner. | Along with Podemos, the young, the centre-right Citizens party achieved a breakthrough in the 2015 election, ending decades of PSOE and PP duopoly. The party has also shifted further to the right in recent months, and made the Catalan crisis a key focus. Its tough line on regional independence and rigorous defence of Spain’s national unity paid off in the 2017 Catalan regional elections, in which Citizens were the single biggest winner. |
| The anti-austerity party, born of frustration and the indignados movement, looked set to leapfrog the PSOE and become the dominant leftwing political force in the 2016 general election. But mixed messages, internal squabbles and an alliance with the United Left – a coalition that includes the Communist party – saw it do far worse than expected. Podemos has helped to shore up the Sánchez government, but public internal spats have blunted its message and weakened its image. | The anti-austerity party, born of frustration and the indignados movement, looked set to leapfrog the PSOE and become the dominant leftwing political force in the 2016 general election. But mixed messages, internal squabbles and an alliance with the United Left – a coalition that includes the Communist party – saw it do far worse than expected. Podemos has helped to shore up the Sánchez government, but public internal spats have blunted its message and weakened its image. |
| Vox, led by the pistol-carrying Santiago Abascal, ended four decades of Spanish exceptionalism in December when its performance in the Andalucían elections made it the first far-right party to win seats in Spain since the country’s return to democracy following the Franco dictatorship. Abascal has talked of a 'reconquest' of Spain – a reference to the long campaign against Moorish rule, which concluded in 1492 and also led to the expulsion of Spain’s Jews. Vox, which was formed by disgruntled PP members five years ago, has raged against 'supremacist feminism and gender totalitarianism', and the party has complained that existing domestic violence laws are unfairly weighted against men. | Vox, led by the pistol-carrying Santiago Abascal, ended four decades of Spanish exceptionalism in December when its performance in the Andalucían elections made it the first far-right party to win seats in Spain since the country’s return to democracy following the Franco dictatorship. Abascal has talked of a 'reconquest' of Spain – a reference to the long campaign against Moorish rule, which concluded in 1492 and also led to the expulsion of Spain’s Jews. Vox, which was formed by disgruntled PP members five years ago, has raged against 'supremacist feminism and gender totalitarianism', and the party has complained that existing domestic violence laws are unfairly weighted against men. |
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| The prime minister said he wanted the lower house to support “a stable government that with calmness, serenity and resolution looks to the future and achieves the progress that our country needs in social justice, national harmony and political cleansing”. | The prime minister said he wanted the lower house to support “a stable government that with calmness, serenity and resolution looks to the future and achieves the progress that our country needs in social justice, national harmony and political cleansing”. |
| Albert Rivera, the leader of the Citizens party, said a high turnout was needed on Sunday to “usher in a new era”. | |
| The PP’s Pablo Casado, who has dragged the party to the right since becoming leader last July, called the election the country’s most decisive in recent years. | The PP’s Pablo Casado, who has dragged the party to the right since becoming leader last July, called the election the country’s most decisive in recent years. |
| Pablo Iglesias, the leader of Podemos, said: “My feeling is that in Spain there is an ample progressive majority, and when there is high participation that becomes very clear.” | Pablo Iglesias, the leader of Podemos, said: “My feeling is that in Spain there is an ample progressive majority, and when there is high participation that becomes very clear.” |
| Santiago Abascal, whose Vox party is gaining momentum and further splitting an already divided right, said millions of Spaniards were turning out to vote “with hope … without fear of anything or anyone”. | Santiago Abascal, whose Vox party is gaining momentum and further splitting an already divided right, said millions of Spaniards were turning out to vote “with hope … without fear of anything or anyone”. |
| Sánchez called the election in February after Catalan separatists joined rightwing parties in rejecting his 2019 budget. | Sánchez called the election in February after Catalan separatists joined rightwing parties in rejecting his 2019 budget. |
| The PSOE has governed Spain since last June, when it used a no-confidence vote to oust the corruption-ridden conservative People’s party (PP) from office. | The PSOE has governed Spain since last June, when it used a no-confidence vote to oust the corruption-ridden conservative People’s party (PP) from office. |
| But Sánchez’s minority government had struggled to advance its legislative agenda as it held only 84 of the 350 seats in the congress of deputies. | But Sánchez’s minority government had struggled to advance its legislative agenda as it held only 84 of the 350 seats in the congress of deputies. |
| The prime minister’s opponents accuse him of being weak and too beholden to the Catalan independence parties that supported his successful no-confidence motion. They argue he should take a far tougher line on the independence issue, which has dominated Spanish politics since the regional government’s secession attempt in autumn 2017. | The prime minister’s opponents accuse him of being weak and too beholden to the Catalan independence parties that supported his successful no-confidence motion. They argue he should take a far tougher line on the independence issue, which has dominated Spanish politics since the regional government’s secession attempt in autumn 2017. |
| The territorial crisis has also fuelled the emergence of Vox, which until last year was a fringe party without the support to win seats in congress. That changed last December when it exceeded expectations, picking up 12 seats in the Andalucían regional election. | The territorial crisis has also fuelled the emergence of Vox, which until last year was a fringe party without the support to win seats in congress. That changed last December when it exceeded expectations, picking up 12 seats in the Andalucían regional election. |
| Vox then demonstrated its abilities as kingmaker by agreeing to support an Andalucían regional government between the PP and Citizens, which ended decades of PSOE control in the southern Spanish region. | Vox then demonstrated its abilities as kingmaker by agreeing to support an Andalucían regional government between the PP and Citizens, which ended decades of PSOE control in the southern Spanish region. |
| Vox’s uncompromising stance on Catalonia, which includes proposals to ban pro-independence parties, has helped it build momentum, as have its attacks on feminism and what it describes as political correctness. | Vox’s uncompromising stance on Catalonia, which includes proposals to ban pro-independence parties, has helped it build momentum, as have its attacks on feminism and what it describes as political correctness. |
| The party has succeeded in shaping the political agenda in recent months as the Spanish right continues to fragment. Both Casado and Rivera have steered their parties away from the centre in an attempt to stop voters deserting them for Abascal’s grouping. | The party has succeeded in shaping the political agenda in recent months as the Spanish right continues to fragment. Both Casado and Rivera have steered their parties away from the centre in an attempt to stop voters deserting them for Abascal’s grouping. |
| Sánchez has warned the party could then try to repeat its Andalucían strategy to build a three-party rightwing coalition government with the PP and Citizens. | Sánchez has warned the party could then try to repeat its Andalucían strategy to build a three-party rightwing coalition government with the PP and Citizens. |
| “No one thought that Trump would be president in the US, nor Bolsonaro in Brazil,” Sánchez tweeted on Friday. “And people reckoned Brexit wouldn’t happen either. A vote for the PSOE is the difference between a Spain that looks towards the future and a Spain that slides back 40 years. No one should stay home on Sunday!” | “No one thought that Trump would be president in the US, nor Bolsonaro in Brazil,” Sánchez tweeted on Friday. “And people reckoned Brexit wouldn’t happen either. A vote for the PSOE is the difference between a Spain that looks towards the future and a Spain that slides back 40 years. No one should stay home on Sunday!” |
| The PSOE could turn once again to Podemos for support, but the anti-austerity party has been weakened by internal rivalries and is not the electoral force it was three years ago. Even with Podemos’s help, Sánchez may once again need to enlist the help of Basque and Catalan nationalist parties. | The PSOE could turn once again to Podemos for support, but the anti-austerity party has been weakened by internal rivalries and is not the electoral force it was three years ago. Even with Podemos’s help, Sánchez may once again need to enlist the help of Basque and Catalan nationalist parties. |
| The socialists could also seek to make a deal with Citizens – although Rivera has firmly ruled out such a pact. | The socialists could also seek to make a deal with Citizens – although Rivera has firmly ruled out such a pact. |
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