Andalusia’s Regional Elections Signal Trouble Ahead for Spain’s Established Parties

Andalusia’s Regional Elections Signal Trouble Ahead for Spain’s Established Parties
Supporters of Spain’s far-right Vox party celebrate the results of regional elections in Andalusia, Seville, Spain, Dec. 2, 2018 (AP photo by Gogo Lobato).

Neither the center-left nor the center-right can claim victory in the regional elections that were held in Andalusia, the most populous part of Spain, this weekend.

That hasnt stopped the People’s Party from trying. For decades the only major party on the right, it saw its support fall to 21 percent in Andalusia, down 6 points from 2015 and its lowest vote share in the region in almost 20 years. But because the ruling Socialist Party fell further—down 7 points to 28 percent—there is a good chance the People’s Party will be able to take over the Andalusian government for the first time since democracy was restored in Spain.

It would do so with the help of the liberal Ciudadanos, or Citizens, party and the far-right Vox, which both made huge gains. The former doubled its vote share, from 9 to 18 percent, while the latter won 11 percent support virtually out of nowhere.

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