The leader of Spain’s opposition conservative party Alberto Núñez Feijóo has claimed victory in a snap election, but without the result he needed.
Even with the support of the far right, his Popular Party (PP) has fallen short of a majority in parliament.
The cheers at the rival Socialist camp were just as loud as Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared: “The reactionary bloc has failed.”
While both can claim success, Spain is left with an inconclusive result.
But Mr Sánchez has been vindicated in his controversial decision to call the vote in the searing heat of a Spanish summer, when election-day temperatures reached 40C in some parts of the country.
Turnout topped 70%, as voters sensed the importance of the election, breaking off from their holidays to vote in swimwear and with beach gear in tow.
“No pasarán,” supporters chanted outside Socialist HQ – they shall not pass – referring both to far-right party Vox and the anti-fascist slogan of the Spanish civil war.
Nonetheless, Mr Feijóo told cheering conservative supporters that it was now his duty to try to form a government.
“Spaniards know we have gone from being the second force to the party with the most votes,” he said, adding: “I hope this doesn’t start a period of uncertainty in Spain.”
But that is what Spain is facing. Because with Vox on 33 seats and Mr Feijóo’s PP on 136, they would be seven seats short of an absolute majority of 176 in parliament, so the most likely result of this election is another poll towards the end of the year.
That is why Mr Sánchez’s Socialists and his far-left allies Sumar appeared happiest.
“The reactionary bloc of regression, which set out a complete reversal of all the advances that we’ve achieved over the past four years, has failed,” he told supporters.
The right has repeatedly attacked Mr Sánchez because of a badly framed law on sexual consent, as well as reforms on abortion and transgender rights.
But the opposition also targeted the support he received from Catalan and Basque nationalists, arguing that concessions he made to them threatened Spain’s territorial unity.
Some PP supporters outside party HQ chanted Que te vote Txapote, an anti-Sánchez slogan meaning “Let Txapote vote for you”, which referenced a militant who carried out killings for the defunct Basque group Eta.
For much of the night the mood among PP supporters had been subdued and celebrations finally picked up when their party overtook the Socialists in the results. As their leader finished his speech, little groups of voters draped in Spanish flags asked each other what would happen next.
These were not victorious activists celebrating. Despite the rhetoric from the balcony above, this felt like an empty win.
One Spanish website, El Español, said that despite the PP’s victory, Pedro Sánchez still had a chance of forming a government.
But those very slim chances would require going even further than before in securing separatist support. He would also need the backing of a hardline pro-independence party, Together for Catalonia (Junts), which appears unwilling to support him.
The 70% turnout was higher than in November 2019, despite the summer heat. That was partly due to almost 2.5 million postal votes being cast, but polling stations were busiest in the morning before the heat took hold.
Vox remains the third biggest party, with the support of three million of Spain’s 37 million voters, but not significantly ahead of Sumar and with a big drop in seat numbers.
Voting numbers were buoyed on Sunday by 1.6 million young voters having the right to take part in the election for the first time.
An estimated 10 million Spaniards are already on holiday and one man at a coastal polling station made a point of wearing a snorkel and flippers.
A couple called Pilar and Luis who got married in Granada on Saturday headed out to vote in their wedding clothes hours after their party ended the night before.
Many voters said they felt there was too much at stake in this election, even if it was being held in mid-summer. One father of three, called Sergio, told the BBC that many people he knew were anxious and angry that an extreme-right party might end up in government.
Vox leader Santiago Abascal was one of the few leaders not showing any sign of celebrating Sunday’s result.
Political analyst Iago Moreno said the far right blamed the conservative PP for “complicity in the demonisation of Vox”, so they saw Sunday’s result as the beginning of a journey to a “second round” which could come by Christmas.
While the Socialist leader and Sumar put on a show of unity in a TV debate last week, Alberto Núñez Feijóo was conspicuously absent, giving the impression that Vox was on its own.
But Vox voters did come out in force, backing Mr Abascal’s platform of anti-immigration and anti-feminism.
Many saw him as their best hope of defending Spain’s traditional values
Follow us on:
Israeli PM Netanyahu faces potential arrest in the UK as Downing Street pledges to fulfill…
A second Australian teenager has died of suspected methanol poisoning in Laos, bringing to six…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFlFl1mPGC8 The arrest of self-proclaimed Prime minister of the Biafra Republic, Simon Ekpa who was…
Gatwick Airport's South Terminal was evacuated after a suspected prohibited item was found, prompting bomb…
Trump is considering Kevin Warsh for Treasury Secretary, with a future possibility of him becoming…
Hyundai has recalled 145,235 electrified vehicles in the US. due to potential loss of drive…
View Comments
👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇*SOME AVAILABLE TOKUNBO VEHICLES*
Golf 2,3,4 ₦350,000 - ₦500,000
Toyota Camry 2.2 Tiny-Light ₦N500,000
Toyota Camry Big-Daddy ₦550,000
Toyota Camry Muscle ₦750,000
Toyota Camry Spider ₦650,000
Toyota Avelon ₦550,000
Toyota Avensis ₦500,000
Toyota Corolla ₦500,000
Toyota Yaris ₦550,000
Toyota Matrix ₦600,000
Toyota Picnic ₦550,000
Toyota Sienna ₦N850,000
Toyota Venza ₦1.2million
Toyota Rav4 ₦800,000
Toyota 4Runner ₦1.2million
Toyota Hiace-Bus
Toyota Highlander ₦1million
Toyota Land Cruiser ₦1.3million
Toyota Tundra ₦1.4million
Toyota Prado ₦1.6million
Mercedes-Benz C-Class ₦650,000
Mercedes-Benz E-Class ₦700,000
Mercedes-Benz G-Class ₦800,000
Mercedes-Benz GLK ₦1million
Mercedes Benz ML350 ₦1.3million
Nissan Altima ₦550,000
Nissan Armada ₦750,000
Nissan Maxima N650,000
Nissan Murano 1.3 million
Nissan Primera ₦500,000
Nissan Pathfinder ₦900,000
Honda Accord ₦600,000
Honda City ₦500,000
Honda Civic ₦550,000
Honda C-RV ₦650,000
Honda Crosstour ₦750,000
Honda Element ₦650,000
Honda Evilspirit ₦650,000
Honda Odyssey ₦670,000
Honda Pilot ₦900,000
Lexus Rx330 ₦850,000
Lexus Rx350 ₦1million
Lexus Rx400 ₦1.2million
Lexus Gx470 ₦1.8million
O7O 4540 6674 }
Acura TL ₦650,000
Acura MDX ₦950,000
Acura ZDX ₦850,000
Land Rover Discovery ₦1.8Million
Land Rover Freelander ₦1.6Million
Land Rover Vogue ₦2.3Million
Range Rover Sport. ₦2.2Million
TIPPER AND TRUCKS also available for sales