Axarquia’s Blue Wave: PP Takes The Lead In Spain’s General Elections

AXARQUIA followed the national rightward swing in Spain’s general election on Sunday, July 23 with the conservative People’s Party (PP) winning across towns.

Nerja

In Nerja, the PP topped the polls with 41 per cent of the vote, a huge 14 point increase from 2019.

Top candidate José Alberto Armijo celebrated the “vote for change” after the party gained more than 1,100 more votes than last time. Turnout also rose 1.5 per cent while the PP won at every polling station.

Velez-Malaga

Further inland, the PP broke through the 15,000 vote barrier in Velez-Malaga, claiming 39 per cent share compared to just 27 per cent in 2019.

Local party president Jesús Lupiáñez said the strong backing reinforces their new mandate after the PP recently regained the mayorship under his leadership.

The 4,500 vote PP margin over the socialist PSOE showed voters’ clear preference shift after placing third in the last election.

Rincon de la Victoria

In Rincon de la Victoria, the PP vote share jumped 10 points to 43 per cent, unseating the formerly-leading PSOE which dropped to 25 per cent.

With turnout rising over six per cent, PP support decisively overtook that of the socialists who won last time. The result aligns with the general conservative trend nationwide.

The story repeated in Torrox, where the PP leapfrogged the PSOE for the top spot for the first time. The PP’s 41 per cent share was a massive 16 point improvement that pushed the leftist party down to second place with 28 per cent. The socialist slide and PP surge again reflected the national mood.

Frigiliana

Even in smaller towns like Frigiliana, the swing was evident. The PP narrowly regained the top spot after placing third in 2019, showing the broad shift across Axarquia.

Across Spain

While the PP didn’t win everywhere in the region, their significant gains mirror trends across the whole of Spain. Their strong Costa del Sol results also spilled over into Axarquia’s towns.

However, the PP lacks an outright majority in Spain’s fragmented political landscape. Coalition building will prove challenging despite the PP’s strong municipal wins across Axarquia and beyond.