Split verdict in Spanish polls, coalition government likely

For more than 30 years, the Popular Party (PP) and Socialists had alternated power, but they now find themselves significantly challenged by Podemos and centrist party Ciudadanos, which came fourth yesterday in the closely-fought legislative polls. 

While it took the largest share of the votes, the PP lost its absolute majority in parliament by a significant margin and will now have to try and form an uneasy alliance with other parties or attempt to rule as a minority government. 

“We are starting a new political era in our country,” gushed Pablo Iglesias, the pony-tailed, 37-yearold Podemos leader, as supporters looked on holding purple balloons to match the colours of the party. 

The country’s Socialists, meanwhile, scored their worst score in modern Spanish history -- challenged as they were by Podemos, which has skilfully managed to surf on the wave of exasperation over austerity and corruption that saw it emerge in the first place. Official results showed the ruling PP obtained 122 seats, followed by the PSOE with 91, Podemos with 69 and centrist Ciudadanos got 40 seats -- meaning that the parliament will be constituted of four significant groupings with clout. 

“For the first time, we will not know who will be Spanish prime minister this evening,” political analyst Josep Antich said on television, pointing to the negotiations that will now ensue to form alliances to try and unseat the PP or keep it in power. And even if the PP emerges unscathed, it will rule as a minority government.

“With a parliament like this, it will have a lot of problems to govern,” analyst Joaquin Estefania told Spanish radio. The election caps a year of electoral change in southern Europe after Syriza was swept to power in Greece in January and a coalition of leftist parties in Portugal unseated the conservative government.