Spain’s election ends with no clear majority, turning focus to coalition talks

Spain’s election left the country without a clear majority for either of the two major parties, shifting the focus to coalition negotiations.

Spain’s conservative Partido Popular party secured 136 seats, followed by the incumbent socialist party PSOE with between 122 seats, RTVE reported. Far-right party Vox came in third with 33 seats. An absolute majority requires 176 seats.

One of the biggest questions from this election is whether PP will formally join forces with Vox — potentially marking the first time that the far right would return to power since the 1975 dictatorship of Francisco Franco. PP and Vox have previously joined forces to govern in three of the country’s regions, but might find it more complicated to work together at the national level.

But PP and Vox’s combined 169 seats still falls short of the 176 required to form a coalition majority. PSOE could join forces with the left-leaning Sumar party and its 31 seats, but the combined 153 seats would also fall short.

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, among other measures.

The snap election was brought about by socialist PSOE’s strong defeat in regional and municipal polls in May. General elections were originally due at the end of this year.

The Sunday vote was the first to ever take place during the summer time. The extreme heat felt in different parts of the country in recent weeks may have shed light on climate policy ahead of the vote.

Prime Minister 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.

However, Sanchez’ economic record proved strong ahead of the vote. Spain’s economy experienced a growth rate above 5% in 2022 and is set to expand by about 1.5% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Inflation in Europe’s fourth-largest economy is also one of the lowest. In June, Spain became the first economy to report an inflation rate below 2% across the region, down since the historic highs recorded in 2022, according to the country’s economy ministry. Political experts have nevertheless said the Sunday vote was more heavily focused on cultural and societal matters.