This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50364124
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Spanish election: Polls open for fourth vote in four years | |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Voters in Spain are returning to the polls for a fourth general election in as many years. | |
After the last election in April, the governing Socialist Party (PSOE) won the most seats but fell short of a majority and was unable to form a coalition. | |
Spain has not had a stable government since 2015. | |
The vote is being overshadowed by unrest in Catalonia and the rise of the far-right Vox party. | The vote is being overshadowed by unrest in Catalonia and the rise of the far-right Vox party. |
After April's vote, Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez entered coalition talks with the leftist Podemos party, but these collapsed - causing them to miss a September deadline to form a new government. | After April's vote, Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez entered coalition talks with the leftist Podemos party, but these collapsed - causing them to miss a September deadline to form a new government. |
At a closing rally on Friday, Mr Sánchez told supporters: "There are only two options: either vote for the Socialists so that we have a government, or vote for any other party to block Spain from getting a progressive government." | At a closing rally on Friday, Mr Sánchez told supporters: "There are only two options: either vote for the Socialists so that we have a government, or vote for any other party to block Spain from getting a progressive government." |
He is arguably at an advantage in his current position as caretaker leader, despite having never won a parliamentary majority. | He is arguably at an advantage in his current position as caretaker leader, despite having never won a parliamentary majority. |
But the latest opinion polls show none of the parties winning a majority. | But the latest opinion polls show none of the parties winning a majority. |
Instead they show Socialists in the lead again, but with fewer votes than in April's election, and the conservative People's Party (PP) and Vox making gains. | |
The election also comes less than a month after Spain's Supreme Court handed out lengthy jail sentences to nine Catalan independence leaders, triggering protests and violence on the streets of Barcelona and other cities in Catalonia. | |
The Catalan crisis has dominated the election campaign, with parties on the right - Vox, the PP and the centre-right Ciudadanos - taking a hardline anti-separatist stance. | The Catalan crisis has dominated the election campaign, with parties on the right - Vox, the PP and the centre-right Ciudadanos - taking a hardline anti-separatist stance. |
Support for Vox surged in the last election, with the party winning 24 seats in parliament with more than 10% of the vote. Meanwhile, the PP suffered its worst-ever general election performance. | |
Who won seats in April? | Who won seats in April? |