Spain’s opposition right-wing People’s Party (PP) could have won Sunday’s early parliamentary elections with over 98% of the votes counted, but would not achieve a parliamentary majority.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s PP and Socialists (PSOE) had 32.9% and 31.8% of the vote, respectively, the partial results showed.
Public broadcaster RTVE said this would give the PP, led by Alberto Nunez Feijoo, 136 seats in the 350-seat lower chamber, the Chamber of Deputies, and the Socialists would gain 122 seats.
Both parties would need the support of junior parties to form a governing majority and weeks of political wrangling would likely ensue.
The far-right Vox, which offered to partner with the PP, was expected to win 33 seats. But that support alone would not be enough to bring the right-wing bloc to power.
However, if this partnership is later confirmed, it would be the first time a far-right party has come to power in Spain since the end of Francisco Franco’s dictatorship in the 1970s.
According to the partial results, the far-left Sumar, which supported the Socialists, should win 31 seats.
Almost final results are expected around midnight.
Other polls point to a lead for the right
Two polls released after mainland voting ended also suggested that the PP was ahead but lacked an absolute parliamentary majority.
A poll by GAD3 for media group Mediaset showed that the PP would win 150 seats and Vox 31, giving it a majority in the 350-seat House of Commons.
According to GAD3, the left-wing coalition, led by Sánchez’s Socialists, would get a total of 149 seats.
Another poll by polling institute Sigma Dos for state broadcaster RTVE also showed that the combined right-wing parties won at the top of the narrowest majority lists (150 for PP and 27 for Vox).
Why did Spain hold snap elections?
Sanchez called the new election early after the left suffered a defeat in local elections in May
The vote was originally scheduled for December. But his attempt to mislead his opponents seems to have backfired if the polls are correct.
The election came just three weeks after Spain took over the rotating presidency of the European Union and comes as a fresh blow to the European left, after similar moves in other EU countries – Sweden, Finland and Italy.
A record 2.47 million of the 37.5 million registered voters cast their postal votes before polling stations even opened.
The prime minister’s minority socialist government is currently in a coalition with far-left Unidas Podemos, which is running in Sunday’s election under the Sumar platform Credit: Emilio Morenatti/AP/Picture Alliance
The election also took place in the middle of summer, when a significant number of voters may not be at their usual polling stations due to holidays and a month of heat waves.
However, officials still expected a turnout of 70%.
Vox is ready to play the kingmaker
Pre-election polls had predicted a larger majority for the PP but would need Vox support to form a government.
In an interview published by El Mundo on Friday, Feijoo explained that a candidate cannot disclose his alliances just two days before an election. He added that a government with Vox is “not ideal”.
However, since the local elections in May, the PP and Vox have already joined forces to govern dozens of regions and cities.
Support for the anti-Islamic and anti-feminist party is in decline. In the last election in November 2019, Vox won 52 seats. If Sunday night’s voter polls are correct, she could get two-thirds of that number in this election.
Even if they had won, the Socialists would have to rely on the new movement called Sumar, which for the first time brought together 15 small left-wing parties to try to form a government.
mm, lo/jcg (AP, AFP, EFE, Portal)