Costa Del Sol’s Right Turn: PP Emerges Victorious In Snap General Election

THE conservative ‘People’s Party’ (PP) rode to victory on a blue wave in the Costa del Sol in Spain’s snap general election on Sunday, July 23.

The national swing to the right was also clear on the coastline, where the PP dominated in each large town.

Marbella

In Marbella city, a PP clean sweep landed the party two seats in national parliament for the first time ever. The City Councillor for Tourism, Cristóbal Garre and former Councillor for Urban Planning Isabel Pérez will head to Madrid to serve as Marbella’s two city representatives. Garre described the victory as a “proud day” for the party.

Fuengirola

Further west in Fuengirola, the PP’s landslide win went to show their continued strength among the town’s large international population. Their 42 per cent share was a significant 17 points higher than 2019, signalling voters’ dissatisfaction with the incumbent Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE). However the PSOE did slightly grow their raw vote numbers despite the percentage loss.

Mijas

Mijas, the coast’s third largest town, saw the PP make gains due to the collapse of the centre-right Ciudadanos party. The PP gained 17 points overall, absorbing deserters from both Ciudadanos and the populist right-wing Vox party which similarly lost ground across the region.

Benalmadena

In Benalmadena, an even more dramatic 20-point PP boost came alongside Vox shedding six points to dip into third place, reflecting a volatile political landscape.

The socialist PSOE managed a minor bump in support to 27 per cent, but not nearly enough to counter the PP.

Torremolinos

The shift to the right was equally felt in Torremolinos, where the PP doubled its vote share from 2019 to claim over 43 per cent of ballots cast, up from 24 per cent in 2019. The once-dominant PSOE saw their fortunes fade as the conservative wave swept over the town, which relies heavily on tourism.

The bigger picture

While the People’s Party (PP) celebrated major wins across southern Spain’s iconic Costa del Sol, the national outlook remains uncertain as no single party gained an outright majority in the Congressional vote. The PP will need to join forces with several smaller parties to form a coalition government.

The Costa del Sol results showed the resurgence of Spain’s traditional right-wing party, but cobbling together a functional central government will prove the real challenge going forward for the PP after Sunday’s fractured outcome.