Party Popular Win but without a Majority

WITH a little over 50 per cent of the population voting, Mariano Rajoy’s governing Party, PP have secured just enough votes over the PSOE in the Municipal and Regional elections to claim victory. In what could be a foretaste for a national election expected in November, the PP suffered its worst result in more than 20 years as Spain’s economic rebound failed to conserve the absolute majority it held in most regions. New parties Ciudadanos, and Podemos, made strong headway, overturning a two-party system that has seen the PP and rival Socialists PSOE alternate in power since the end of dictatorship 40 years ago. Although the PP got more votes than any other party, it and the rival Socialists fell short of overall majorities in most areas. So they will have to negotiate coalitions with minority parties in the 13 of Spain’s 17 regions that voted on Sunday alongside more than 8,000 towns and cities.