Spain’s ruling Socialists suffered a crushing blow on Sunday, December 21st, after slumping to their worst-ever result in the Extremadura regional election, as the conservative Popular Party (PP) held onto power with renewed backing from the right-wing Vox party.
The Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), led nationally by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, won just 18 seats in the 65-seat regional assembly, down from 28. The result marks a dramatic fall in a region the Socialists governed for decades and comes amid ongoing corruption and sexual misconduct allegations affecting senior figures linked to the party.
The PP emerged as the largest party with 29 seats but again failed to secure an outright majority, meaning it will rely on VOXwhich more than doubled its representation to 11 seats—to govern. The election was widely seen as a test of the PSOE’s national standing as Sánchez leads a fragile minority coalition.
The defeat follows renewed scrutiny of the party after a court ordered former transport minister José Luis Ábalos to stand trial over alleged kickbacks, while Sánchez’s wife and brother are also facing graft-related investigations. With further regional elections due next year, the Extremadura result has raised fresh doubts about the Socialists’ ability to contain political damage ahead of 2026.
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