Towards its first participation in a Spanish far-right organization Government since the end of Francisco Franco’s regime Partial results are shown For early assembly elections He has a narrow lead over the Socialists led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who are likely to still be in power through coalition play.

After sorting 95 Percentage of Ballots. Partial results show the Popular Party led by Alberto Núñez Viejo won. 136 The seats are out Three hundred and fifty In the House of Representatives, his only ally is the far-right “Vox” party 33 Seats.

As a result, the People’s Party has strengthened its parliamentary constituency 43 Compared to last 2008 elections 2019But he did not reach the threshold 150 Seats are what Fiji has set its sights on.

Therefore, the decision of both parties is limited 169 Seats that do not rise to an absolute majority (176 seats).

On the other hand, partial results showed that the Socialist Party won 122 Seats and his partner “Sumar”, a radical leftist 31 Seats.

Polls had suggested that the Popular Party could form a government in alliance with the far-right Vox Party.

Such a situation would bring the far right back to power in Spain for the first time since the end of Franco’s dictatorship nearly half a century ago.1975)

After polling increased 2,5% Afternoon, GMT reached 4:00 p.m 53,12% vs 56,85% in election 2019The decline is explained by the number of people voting in the morning to avoid the heat.

There is no percentage 2,47 Millions of voters turned out 37,5 Two million people voted by mail, a record number given that elections were held for the first time in the height of summer.

Changing trends in Spain.

After voting in the center of Madrid, Núñez Fijo said (61 years) he believed that Spain would usher in a “new era”.

In turn, Vox party leader Santiago Abascal said he hoped the elections would “allow a change of course in Spain”.

As for Socialist Prime Minister Sánchez, the elections are “very important for the world and Europe (…),” he told reporters.

“This election is very important for my generation,” declared outgoing labor minister Yolanda Díaz, leader of the far-left Sumer party and an ally of Sanchez, whose outcome “will define the aspects of the next decade.”

As the European elections approach 2024A victory for the right, and perhaps the far right’s share of power in the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy, would be a severe blow to European left parties after its victory in Italy last year.

This would be highly symbolic in light of Spain’s current EU rotating presidency.

And Fijo was counting on earning 176 One seat gives him an outright majority in the House of Representatives, but no polls predict this result.

Its only potential partner is the far-right Vox party, which it founded 2013 Following a split in the People’s Party, it is currently ruling with three members 17 Region in Spain.

“A Dangerous Setback for the European Project”

Fijo did not reveal his intentions regarding Fox, and in an interview with “El Mundo” newspaper on Friday, he said that “two days before the election, the candidate should not say with whom he will form an alliance”, although he admitted that forming a coalition government with the right-wing nationalist party was “not ideal”.

And Sánchez, who was prompted to call for this early vote by the left’s defeat in local elections, made warning of the far right’s rise to power a central part of his campaign.

The outgoing prime minister said in a televised debate on Wednesday that forming a coalition government between the Popular Party and Vox was “not only a setback for Spain” on rights, but a “dangerous setback for the European project”.

He believed that the only alternative to such a coalition government was to retain the Left coalition currently formed 2020 between his Socialist Party and the radical left.

France 24/AFP