Spain elects a new parliament today. According to polls, a defeat for the left-wing minority government of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is becoming apparent. The conservative People’s Party is expected to be the strongest force in the country, with around 47 million people, but will fall short of an absolute majority. Its main candidate, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, would then depend on the far-right populist party Vox to form a government.
Originally, elections were not to be held in Spain until later in the year. After a disaster for the socialist and leftist parties in regional and local elections on May 28, Sánchez moved the date forward. The left is still waiting for a turnaround.
Sánchez’s former partner in government, the left-wing Unidas Podemos party, has been incorporated into the “Sumar” electoral alliance. A total of 15 parties from the alternative left spectrum are represented. According to experts, the background to the tactical merger is that the Spanish electoral system gives proportionately more weight to the larger parties.
Polling stations close at 20:00 CEST (21:00 CEST in the Canary Islands).