2023-05-28 22:35:52
Spain’s socialist government, led by the President Pedro Sanchez, suffered a severe setback in the municipal elections held this Sunday, following the Popular Party (right-wing) obtained the majority of the votes. In addition, the socialists lost several of the regions of the country that they governed. “We’re in a right tide in Spain“, celebrated the PP.
“It is not what we expected following these weeks of electoral campaign and obviously we also have to reflect on the coming months”, admitted the spokeswoman for the Socialist Party, Pilar Alegría. These choices show that “the desire for change and that alternative (of the PP) is absolutely unstoppable” for the legislative ones, celebrated the PP spokesperson, Cuca Gamarra.
The Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) He lost 15 of the 22 provincial capitals in which he governs, including socialist “fiefdoms” such as Seville -the largest city in Andalusia and one of its strongholds-, Valladolid, Castellón and Palma, and they did not get Valencia, where they are part of the municipal government of the Compromís alliance. Nor did they manage to be the first force in Barcelona, where Xavier Trias’ list prevailed.
With a scrutinized percentage of more than 95% in these cities, the Socialists lost Seville, Huelva and Granada so that, of the Andalusian capitals, they only retained the mayoralty of Jaén. Nor might they win in Cádiz, where at the last minute the vote count gave a majority to the PP, according to Europa Press.
The PSOE also suffered a significant defeat in the capitals of the Valencian Community, especially in the city of Valencia, where PP and Vox achieved a majority to govern. The PP was the list with the most votes in the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, Aragon, La Rioja and Cantabria, where it will be able to govern if it reaches agreements with Vox.
With this percentage of the scrutiny, the Socialists lose practically all the CCAAs and only maintain the Principality of Asturias, where they are forced to reach an agreement with Podemos and IU, and they might also revalidate Navarra, but María Chivite would need to rely on Bildu and Geroa Bai .
In Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura, governance is in a single seat, so both territories are awaiting the end of the scrutiny.
The Socialists also suffered significant punishment in Castilla y León by losing the mayoralty of Valladolid, Segovia and Burgos, provincial capitals in which they are surpassed by the sum of the ‘popular’ and those of Santiago Abascal, on the right. The defeat was also severe in Castilla La Mancha, a community in which until now they controlled four of the five capitals.
The PSOE continues to be the leading force in Toledo and Guadalajara, but not with a sufficient majority to govern, while the PP conquered Albacete and Ciudad Real, until now in the hands of Ciudadanos, a left-wing party. The PSOE also lost Cáceres, Murcia, Palma, Logroño and other important cities such as Gijón, Jerez de la Frontera and Alcalá de Henares.
The only positive results for the socialists are thrown by Catalonia. The PSC manages to be the first force in Tarragona, Lérida and Gerona, cities in which he did not govern and in which he might seize the baton of command. In Galicia, the Socialists will be able to continue governing in La Coruña and Lugo thanks to the pacts, although the PP manages to be the leading force in both. The PSOE wins once more in Vigo.
Although the name of Pedro Sánchez was not on any electoral ballot, nor that of Senator Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the PP, what was at stake was very important for the future of both politicians, who became so involved in the campaign that they They gave a national and first round look before the legislative elections at the end of the year, on a date yet to be decided.
The right achieves goals
President of the government since 2018, Sánchez arrived at this electoral test with disadvantages: the wear and tear of power, as well as high inflation – albeit lower than in most European countries – and the resulting drop in purchasing power. In addition, the image of the government suffered due to the repeated confrontations between the coalition partners: the socialists and the radical left of Podemos, which according to partial results, would also have suffered a net setback.
The socialist leader had more to lose this Sunday, since of the twelve regions that renewed their parliament, and therefore their government, the socialists governed in ten, either directly or as part of a coalition. The PP controlled the other two, including the one in Madrid, where the president of the region, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, from the hard wing of the party, was advancing to win an absolute majority in the regional parliament.
If the objective of the president of the leftist government this Sunday was to resist, that of Núñez Feijóo was twofold: get the largest number of votes at the national level in the municipal elections and wrest from the Socialists as many regions as possibleto demonstrate, as he assures, that the country no longer wants the socialist leader.
The problem for the leader of the right is that he probably needs the far right to Vox, third force in the national Parliament, to form a government in some regions. Even at the national level in the generals, scheduled for the end of the year.
ds
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