Spain’s right wins elections but fails to form government

The Popular Party, led by Alberto Nuñez Feijoó, won the elections this Sunday (23) in Spain and won 136 seats in Parliament. However, led by Vox, the extreme right did not get enough votes for Feijoó to form a coalition government.

The extreme right led by Vox, from Santiago Abascal, has shrunk and won just 33 seats, 19 fewer than it had before. The result leaves the coalition with 169 votes, seven short of what was needed.

• Popular Party – 136 seats in Parliament – ​​33% of the vote
• Socialist Party – 122 seats – 31.7% of the vote
• Vox – 33 seats – 12.39% of the votes
• Sumar (union of leftist parties) – 31 seats – 12.31% of the vote

Unexpectedly, the resistance from the left, formed by the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and Sumar, won 122 and 31 votes, respectively, totaling 153 seats. After the result, the mood at the PSOE headquarters was one of celebration. “Spain sent a message that the bloc that represents the retreat has failed,” said Sánchez. “We are many more who want Spain to move forward,” he declared.

The left feared a crushing defeat after the municipal elections on May 28, when the traditional PP allied itself with the extreme right for the first time, winning the government of several regions formerly led by the PSOE.

As a result, no broad right-wing coalition and not all left-wing parties together managed enough votes to form an absolute majority.

Even not reaching the majority, Alberto Feijoó demands that he be authorized to take over the government. The left resists the idea, however, in a political chaos that may even call for new elections.