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The results of the elections in Spain confirm the narrow victory of the Popular Party led by conservative leader Alberto Nunez Feijóo. But the PSOE of outgoing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez remains in place, while the far-right party Vox suffers an electoral defeat. The combination of these three messages makes forming a governing majority for any alliance particularly difficult. In fact, potential ally Vox is in a sharp decline and will not reach the required 176 seat threshold.
Feijòo: We won the elections
“I’m very proud, we won the elections,” commented the leader of the People’s Party, Alberto Nunez Feijòo. “An unthinkable result a year ago,” he added. “As the candidate of the party with the most votes, I believe it is my duty to open the dialogue, to lead this dialogue and to try to govern our country. Our duty is to avoid a period of uncertainty,” he added, while being cheered on by his supporters. “I ask that no one be tempted to block Spain again,” he concluded.
The payment
Feijòo’s PP is the first party with 136 seats and the ultra-right Vox falls to 33, even together they would not have an absolute majority. Sumar’s left, 122 psoe, is fourth at 31. However, according to some Spanish media, People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo will demand from the other political groups to guarantee his inauguration as prime minister even if he does not get an absolute majority in the general election.
“Sanchez: We are a great democracy”
“Thank you to all the Spaniards who voted, we are a great democracy,” outgoing Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told a crowd of supporters gathered outside the Socialist Party headquarters in Madrid. “We got more votes than four years ago, more than seven million people voted for us: thank you all,” he said. The “involutionist” bloc, represented by the People’s Party and Vox, was “defeated” in the elections, he said.
Vox: ready to resist or return to elections
“The Spaniards who are worried today know that we will not disappoint them and that we will fight back: we are absolutely ready to resist and go back to the polls,” said Vox leader Santiago Abascal, commenting at party headquarters in Madrid on the results of the Spanish general elections, which did not go well for his party. “I have very bad news: Pedro Sanchez, despite his defeat, can block the nomination (of the popular leader Feijòo, editor’s note) and be nominated himself with the support of the party.” Communism, coup separatism and terrorism,” said Abascal.
Early voting
The early vote on the natural course of the legislature was called for by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez after the Socialists in government suffered a beating in late May. At stake is not only the next head of government in Madrid, but possibly the future balance of Europe, as these elections, along with those in Poland, will be the last before the whole Union goes to the polls next year. The final turnout was 68.23%. The value is 2 points above the value of previous policies in 2019.
The scenarios for Spain
Alberto Nunez Feijòo’s party, together with the votes of Vox, led by Santiago Abascal, is a few seats below the threshold needed to win the absolute majority of the Cortes (176 seats) and be able to enter the government. The PSOE of outgoing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez remains steadfast and, together with Sumar, the left-wing coalition led by Yolanda Diaz, can seek dialogue with other small local parties. Vox is actually coming out almost halfway compared to 2019. The Spanish right may have missed its goal of stepping in the shoulders of the socialist government and putting the hated “sanchismo” in its place forever. In summary, the ‘government of patriots’ advocated by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at a Vox rally some ten days ago would be abolished. On the left, Sánchez may have won his bet: he is sending a country to the polls at the earliest possible date, July 23, in 40 degrees in the shade, so as not to be targeted for many months after local governments’ election defeat on May 28.
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Spanish elections, candidates and last polls before voting
Europe’s eyes turned to Madrid
Meanwhile, the elections in Spain are keeping Brussels in suspense. The vote constitutes the litmus test for the disputed European axis between the populairs and the conservatives. With a mantra repeated in the buildings of the EU institutions: whoever wins the polls, continuity is at stake in the key dossiers that Madrid, in its capacity as current president, will have to manage until the end of 2023. Above all, the new migration pact and the reform of the economic government. To take the temperature of the possible PPE-ECR partnership, it will be the result of Pp and Vox, mirror souls in the Iberian country of the respective political families in Brussels. And after the new line formed in the Eurochamber with the recent shift of the Popolari led by Germany’s Manfred Weber towards Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Conservatives in the fight to the last vote against the Nature Restoration Bill – which was nevertheless passed – rumors of a genuine pact continue to chase each other. Also because of the results of the polls in Greece, Finland and Sweden, where the tendency towards the center-right has become entrenched.
