Spaniards headed to the polls on Sunday for a snap general election that could potentially see a far-right party enter the government for the first time in decades, CNN reports.
Most polls predict that the center-right opposition Popular Party will emerge victorious, but fall short of an absolute majority in Parliament. This scenario could lead to the formation of a coalition government with the far-right Vox party.
The current Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has been in power since 2018, called for the snap vote after his party, the Socialist Party (PSOE), suffered significant setbacks in regional and local elections in May. In contrast, the Popular Party made substantial gains during that period.
Currently, Sanchez's PSOE runs the country in a minority government with a junior coalition partner, the leftist Podemos party. They also receive support from other leftist forces in Parliament. Podemos has now signed a deal to run under the new leftist Sumar alliance, aiming to prevent another split in the leftist vote.
In the meantime, the mayor of Tortosa, Jordi Jordan, has cast a vote dressed in a tunic from the Renaissance period, calling on citizens to exercise their right to vote so as not to “go back in time”.
Avui a #Tortosa hem votat, enmig de la #FestadelRenaixement , una època que no hi havia democràcia. Cal una mobilització per defensar els drets i llibertats i no retrocedir en el temps més enllà de les festes de recreació històrica. pic.twitter.com/QEn3fK2Dpq
— Jordi Jordan (@JordiJordanEbre) July 23, 2023
The Popular Party, led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has promised tax cuts, strong support for the European Union, and a strategy to attract foreign investment for boosting economic growth. Both leaders have voted, with TV footage showing Sanchez being heckled and applauded as he cast his ballot.
The elections have put the spotlight on territorial questions, especially regarding Catalonia's attempts to secede from Spain since 2017. This sparked a resurgence in Spanish nationalism and contributed to the rise of support for the far-right Vox party.
Vox's manifesto includes policies that could significantly roll back women's rights, access to abortion, and minority groups' protection. The party is also anti-immigrant and has many climate change skeptics.
As Spain faces political fragmentation away from the two dominant parties, the winner of the election needs to secure 176 seats in the 350-seat Legislature for an absolute majority. Polls indicate that an outright majority is unlikely, which could lead to a hung Parliament and the possibility of a repeat election, as happened in 2019.
The elections have drawn the attention of first-time voters, with 1.6mn young people who turned 18 since 2019 eligible to vote. A record 2.6mn ballots have been requested, showing significant interest in the election.
At the time of reporting, the conservative People's Party (PP) is slightly ahead of the ruling Socialists, but no single party or bloc is projected to win an outright majority. The election took place during the peak of the summer vacation season, with extreme heat expected in certain regions of Spain. Turnout has been reported at 53%, slightly lower than the previous election in November 2019.
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