BARCELONA, SPAIN – JULY 23: A person votes at historical constructing of Universitat de Barcelona on July 23, 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. Voters in Spain head to the polls on July 23 to solid their votes 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 target to steer negotiations to form a latest government in Madrid, exit polls have shown, suggesting this could possibly be the tip of the socialist rule of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
PP secured between 145 and 150 seats, followed by the incumbent socialist party PSOE with between 113 and 118 seats, in response to initial exit polls published by RTVE. An absolute majority requires 176 seats.
Within the absence of a transparent majority for any of the 2 major parties, the main focus is now heavily on who will likely be the third largest political force emerging from Sunday’s election. It’s thus far unclear if the far right party Vox got here in third or fourth, on condition that exit polls put it neck-to-neck with the left-leaning Sumar party.
One in all the most important questions from this election is whether or not PP will formally join forces with Vox — potentially marking the primary time that the far right would return to power because the 1975 dictatorship of Francisco Franco. Exit polls suggest that the precise wing bloc could potentially have a working majority.
PP and Vox have previously joined forces to manipulate in three of the country’s regions, but might find it more complicated to work together on the national level.
Members of Alberto Feijóo’s conservative party have raised concerns regarding Vox’s anti-LGBT rights and anti-immigration policy. Vox has also been criticized by mainstream politicians for opposing abortion rights and denying climate change, amongst other measures.
The snap election was caused by socialist PSOE’s strong defeat in regional and municipal polls in May. General elections were originally due at the tip of this yr.
The Sunday vote was the primary to ever happen throughout the summer time. The intense heat felt in several parts of the country in recent weeks could have make clear climate policy ahead of the vote.
Pedro Sanchez has served as Spain’s prime minister since 2018. He has been criticized for pardoning politicians supporting regional independence. During his mandate, there have also been issues with the “only yes means yes” sexual consent law, which reduced the jail time of many convicted rapists through a loophole.
Nonetheless, Sanchez’ economic record proved strong ahead of the vote. Spain’s economy experienced a growth rate above 5% in 2022 and is ready to expand by about 1.5% this yr, in response to the International Monetary Fund.
Inflation in Europe’s fourth-largest economy can be one in every of the bottom. In June, Spain became the primary economy to report an inflation rate below 2% across the region, down because the historic highs recorded in 2022, in response to the country’s economy ministry. Political experts have nevertheless said the Sunday vote was more heavily focused on cultural and societal matters.
