Spain's Snap Election: No Clear Majority

Preliminary results: PSOE leads with 131 seats, PP closely behind with 130 seats.
Vox secures 31 seats, Sumar gets 30 seats.
Coalition formations possible, 176 seats needed for a majority in the 350-seat lower house.

Preliminary results of Spain’s snap general election indicate that no single party or bloc would secure an outright majority. With 50 percent of votes counted, the ruling Socialist Party (PSOE) is slightly ahead with 131 parliamentary seats, while the conservative Peoples Party follows closely with 130 seats. However, the early count, mainly from small towns, may not reflect the final outcome. Voter surveys earlier showed the PP ahead but falling short of a working majority in the 350-seat lower house. A potential tie-up with the far-right Vox party could help them achieve a majority.

The preliminary data also shows Vox with 31 seats and the far-left Sumar with 30 seats. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for the snap election after the left suffered losses in local elections in May. Both left and right blocs have the possibility of forming coalitions, requiring a minimum of 176 seats in the lower house of congress. A new parliament must be constituted by August 17, but government formation negotiations can extend for several months.

An analysis of opinion poll data projected various scenarios, with a 55 percent chance of a PP/Vox coalition, a 15 percent chance of Sanchez remaining in power with a patchwork leftist coalition, and a 23 percent chance of a hung parliament leading to a repeat election. As Sanchez cast his vote in Madrid, he faced mixed reactions from the public, with some calling him a “liar” and others supporting him as the prime minister.

Currently, the prime minister’s minority government is in coalition with the far-left Unidas Podemos party, which is contesting the election under the Sumar platform. PP chief Feijoo expressed hope for a new era in Spain, while Vox leader Abascal emphasized the importance of Spain’s potential course change and thanked voters for their participation.

Spain’s Snap Election: No Clear Majority

Web Desk

Articles