In the halls of Ferraz, the headquarters of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) in Madrid, there are posters depicting the smiling face of Pedro Sánchez, along with the slogan ahora si (‘now yes’). However, after the debacle of the administrative elections on Sunday, May 28—which handed over almost all the regions, including former socialist strongholds like Valencia and Seville, to right-wing parties—those posters now represent a painful irony. Sánchez, the Spanish premier who hoped to lead a socialist revolution, has become a burden to a party that never loved him and is now ready to hand him the bill for this terrible defeat. In an attempt to avoid the pillory and more damage to the socialists, Sanchez decided to resign immediately and call an early general election on July 23.
To be sure, the prime minister displayed great self-confidence by effectively requesting the nation to hold a referendum on his government. However, his self-confidence is unjustified. The administrative elections signify that the electorate has totally rejected him. This is confirmed by the dismal results that also befell Sanchez’s government allies, as well as the left-wing alternatives to the PSOE. Podemos suffered a crushing defeat, as did Second Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz, injecting even more uncertainty and tension into the future of the Spanish Left. Ignacio Varela, a political analyst and a former consultant for socialist officials, maintains that after this harsh defeat, Sanchez can no longer be a candidate for the next legislative elections. The overwhelming vote in favor of Partido Popular’s (PP) Isabella Díaz Ayuso, the president of Madrid and the true victor of this electoral round, delivers an even harsher judgment on the premier. Ayuso has been one of Sánchez’s loudest critics within her party.
The Advance of VOX
The elections on May 28 practically swept away all Podemos’ rising power. The group is overwhelmed and facing the end of its rise to success. Left-wing politicians across all parties are facing the same challenge. Spain’s Vice President Nadia Calviño had linked her fate to Ada Colau, the mayor of Barcelona, who lost the race. This defeat is made even more bitter by the excellent results for the right-wing VOX party, presided over by Santiago Abascal. Podemos has long sought to exclude VOX from parliament, yet Abascal’s party has doubled its votes since 2019. To further the cause of Spain’s conservatives, Abascal has sent a clear signal of solidarity to Alberto Núñez Feijóo, PP’s leader, in hopes of joining forces. In large provincial capitals, VOX expects its representatives in Seville, Valencia, Malaga, and Zarazoga to shape the direction of policy-making in collaboration with the People’s Party.
VOX has grown from the three councilors in Salt, Girona, to 124 representatives in all the provincial capitals throughout Catalonia. Ignacio Garriga, VOX’s general secretary, reported that the party has gone from having 500 advisers in Spain to more than 1,600. The party, which belongs to the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group (of which the Italian premier Giorgia Meloni is president), is destined to grow at the national level.
Weighing in on collaboration with the PP, Garriga said, “we are waiting and with an outstretched hand.” He pointed out that the only objective that concerns them is to repeal Sanchismo’s the policies. “It is time to throw Sánchez out, and we are going to give ourselves to this cause, body and soul,” he said. Santiago Abascal similarly declared: “This is not a day for demands, ultimatums, or thick words.” VOX’s president has confirmed that contact between the two parties has already taken place and that he will be reaching out to Feijóo in the coming days. He reiterated that he will do everything in his power to shape a political alternative for the Right, although he warned that his offer is by no means a blank check for the PP.
Paradoxically, this collaboration is the hope to which socialists and the Left are clinging. Sánchez argues that voting for the PP opens the door to a ‘far-right’ governing coalition at the national level, an outcome that is unlikely to sit well with centrists. But this argument, as witnessed in the administrative elections, seems to have a diminishing hold upon the Spanish electorate. Their votes indicate more of a desire for a conservative popular party than a moderate line. For example, after leading a Right-backed minority government for three years, the PP’s Juanma Moreno raised the possibility in 2022 of aligning with VOX in order to maintain control, and was then re-elected to the presidency of the Andalusia region by an absolute majority .
2024 in the Background
The socialists now seem to have no alternative but to make an uneasy alliance with Podemos and other left-wing parties, to oppose the advance of the conservatives. But Sanchez’s decision to hold early elections makes the project even more complicated. It is no surprise that this move was not welcomed by the socialist leaders. However, Sanchez claims that a shock is needed to try to stop a conservative wave.
The Popular Party is convinced that they can wrest the government from the Left, but have doubts about whether they should ally with VOX immediately or take it one step at a time. In the background of all this hovers the next wave of European elections. The European People’s Party (of which the Spanish PP is a part) is seriously considering an alliance with the ECR led by Giorgia Meloni. This could give a clear and solid majority to the European Right and change the balance of power in Brussels. Consequently, many leaders throughout Europe, with Meloni in the lead, will follow the next electoral round in Spain with great attention.
Spain’s Turn To the Right
In the halls of Ferraz, the headquarters of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) in Madrid, there are posters depicting the smiling face of Pedro Sánchez, along with the slogan ahora si (‘now yes’). However, after the debacle of the administrative elections on Sunday, May 28—which handed over almost all the regions, including former socialist strongholds like Valencia and Seville, to right-wing parties—those posters now represent a painful irony. Sánchez, the Spanish premier who hoped to lead a socialist revolution, has become a burden to a party that never loved him and is now ready to hand him the bill for this terrible defeat. In an attempt to avoid the pillory and more damage to the socialists, Sanchez decided to resign immediately and call an early general election on July 23.
To be sure, the prime minister displayed great self-confidence by effectively requesting the nation to hold a referendum on his government. However, his self-confidence is unjustified. The administrative elections signify that the electorate has totally rejected him. This is confirmed by the dismal results that also befell Sanchez’s government allies, as well as the left-wing alternatives to the PSOE. Podemos suffered a crushing defeat, as did Second Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz, injecting even more uncertainty and tension into the future of the Spanish Left. Ignacio Varela, a political analyst and a former consultant for socialist officials, maintains that after this harsh defeat, Sanchez can no longer be a candidate for the next legislative elections. The overwhelming vote in favor of Partido Popular’s (PP) Isabella Díaz Ayuso, the president of Madrid and the true victor of this electoral round, delivers an even harsher judgment on the premier. Ayuso has been one of Sánchez’s loudest critics within her party.
The Advance of VOX
The elections on May 28 practically swept away all Podemos’ rising power. The group is overwhelmed and facing the end of its rise to success. Left-wing politicians across all parties are facing the same challenge. Spain’s Vice President Nadia Calviño had linked her fate to Ada Colau, the mayor of Barcelona, who lost the race. This defeat is made even more bitter by the excellent results for the right-wing VOX party, presided over by Santiago Abascal. Podemos has long sought to exclude VOX from parliament, yet Abascal’s party has doubled its votes since 2019. To further the cause of Spain’s conservatives, Abascal has sent a clear signal of solidarity to Alberto Núñez Feijóo, PP’s leader, in hopes of joining forces. In large provincial capitals, VOX expects its representatives in Seville, Valencia, Malaga, and Zarazoga to shape the direction of policy-making in collaboration with the People’s Party.
VOX has grown from the three councilors in Salt, Girona, to 124 representatives in all the provincial capitals throughout Catalonia. Ignacio Garriga, VOX’s general secretary, reported that the party has gone from having 500 advisers in Spain to more than 1,600. The party, which belongs to the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group (of which the Italian premier Giorgia Meloni is president), is destined to grow at the national level.
Weighing in on collaboration with the PP, Garriga said, “we are waiting and with an outstretched hand.” He pointed out that the only objective that concerns them is to repeal Sanchismo’s the policies. “It is time to throw Sánchez out, and we are going to give ourselves to this cause, body and soul,” he said. Santiago Abascal similarly declared: “This is not a day for demands, ultimatums, or thick words.” VOX’s president has confirmed that contact between the two parties has already taken place and that he will be reaching out to Feijóo in the coming days. He reiterated that he will do everything in his power to shape a political alternative for the Right, although he warned that his offer is by no means a blank check for the PP.
Paradoxically, this collaboration is the hope to which socialists and the Left are clinging. Sánchez argues that voting for the PP opens the door to a ‘far-right’ governing coalition at the national level, an outcome that is unlikely to sit well with centrists. But this argument, as witnessed in the administrative elections, seems to have a diminishing hold upon the Spanish electorate. Their votes indicate more of a desire for a conservative popular party than a moderate line. For example, after leading a Right-backed minority government for three years, the PP’s Juanma Moreno raised the possibility in 2022 of aligning with VOX in order to maintain control, and was then re-elected to the presidency of the Andalusia region by an absolute majority .
2024 in the Background
The socialists now seem to have no alternative but to make an uneasy alliance with Podemos and other left-wing parties, to oppose the advance of the conservatives. But Sanchez’s decision to hold early elections makes the project even more complicated. It is no surprise that this move was not welcomed by the socialist leaders. However, Sanchez claims that a shock is needed to try to stop a conservative wave.
The Popular Party is convinced that they can wrest the government from the Left, but have doubts about whether they should ally with VOX immediately or take it one step at a time. In the background of all this hovers the next wave of European elections. The European People’s Party (of which the Spanish PP is a part) is seriously considering an alliance with the ECR led by Giorgia Meloni. This could give a clear and solid majority to the European Right and change the balance of power in Brussels. Consequently, many leaders throughout Europe, with Meloni in the lead, will follow the next electoral round in Spain with great attention.
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