Change of power after shift to the right in parliamentary elections in Spain?

Spain will elect a new parliament this Sunday. According to polls, a defeat for the left-wing minority government of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is on the horizon. The conservative People’s Party is expected to be the strongest force in the country, with around 47 million people, but will fall short of an absolute majority. Its main candidate, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, would then have to rely on the far-right populist party Vox to form a government.

Originally, elections were not to be held in Spain until later in the year. After a disaster for the socialists and more left-wing parties in the May 28 regional and municipal elections, Sánchez moved the date forward. The left is still waiting for a turnaround. Sánchez’s former partner in government, the left-wing Unidas Podemos party, has been incorporated into the “Sumar” electoral alliance. A total of 15 parties from the alternative left spectrum are represented. According to experts, the background to the tactical merger is that the Spanish electoral system gives proportionately more weight to the larger parties.

Polling stations close at 20:00 CEST (21:00 CEST in the Canary Islands).