BARCELONA, SPAIN – JULY 23: A man votes at the historic building of Universitat de Barcelona on July 23, 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. Voters in Spain go to the ballot box on July 23 to cast their ballot and elect Spain’s next government. (Photo by Javier Mostacero Carrera#1102751#51C ED/Getty Images)
Javier Mostacero Carrera | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Spain’s conservative party PP [Partido Popular] is on course to hold negotiations to form a new government in Madrid, election polls have shown, suggesting it could spell the end of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s socialist rule.
PP secured between 145 and 150 seats, followed by the incumbent socialist party PSOE with between 113 and 118 seats, according to initial polls published by RTVE. 176 seats are required for an absolute majority.
With neither major party having a clear majority, the focus is now heavily on who will be the third-strongest political force to emerge from Sunday’s election. It is not yet clear whether the far-right party Vox finished third or fourth, tied with the left-leaning Sumar party in the election polls.
One of the biggest questions in this election is whether PP will formally join forces with Vox – possibly the first time the far right has returned to power since Francisco Franco’s dictatorship in 1975. Election polls suggest the right-wing bloc may have a working majority.
PP and Vox have previously joined forces to govern three regions of the country, but working together at the national level may prove more difficult.
Members of Alberto Feijóo’s conservative party have raised concerns about Vox’s anti-LGBT rights and anti-immigration policies. Vox has also been criticized by mainstream politicians for speaking out against abortion rights and denying climate change, among other things.
The decisive factor in the early elections was the clear defeat of the socialist PSOE in regional and municipal elections in May. Parliamentary elections were originally scheduled for the end of this year.
Sunday’s vote was the first ever held in the summer. The extreme heat that has prevailed in various parts of the country in recent weeks may have shed some light on climate policy ahead of the vote.
Pedro Sanchez has been Spain’s prime minister since 2018. He has been criticized for pardoning politicians who campaign for regional independence. During his tenure, there were also problems with the Yes Means Yes Sexual Consent Act, which through a loophole reduced the jail terms of many convicted rapists.
However, Sanchez’s economic record ahead of the vote proved strong. According to the International Monetary Fund, the Spanish economy recorded a growth rate of over 5% in 2022 and is expected to grow by around 1.5% this year.
Inflation in Europe’s fourth largest economy is also one of the lowest. Spain became the first economy in the region to report inflation below 2% in June, down from historic highs set in 2022, according to the country’s economy ministry. Still, policy experts said Sunday’s vote focused more on cultural and societal issues.