Popular Party wins majority in Andalusia, freezing far right out of government

By Alyssa McMurtry

MURCIA, Spain (AA) - Spain’s conservative Popular Party (PP) achieved historic results Sunday in the Spanish region of Andalusia, winning a majority government and blocking out the far-right Vox party.

Polls leading up to the election in the country’s most populous region predicted that the PP would fall short of a majority and have to rely on Vox to form a government.

But in a surprise sweep, more than 43% of voters supported incumbent PP leader Juan Manuel Moreno.

With 97% of the vote counted, the PP won 57 seats — two more than needed to win a majority.

The Socialist Party came in second with 31 seats and Vox won 14, up slightly from 12 in 2018.

Two far-left parties won seven seats combined.

Meanwhile, the centrist Ciudadanos (Citizens) party, which previously held 21 seats, lost all of its representation in the regional parliament. After the dismal results, its leader announced his resignation but celebrated the PP’s majority and the fact that Vox will not form a governing coalition.

In other recent regional elections in Spain, both Ciudadanos and the far-left Podemos party have seen their support dwindle.

This is the first time the PP has ever won a majority in Andalusia. In 2019, the party was able to govern thanks to the support of both Cuidadanos and Vox.

Before that, Andalusia was a left-wing stronghold. The Socialist Party governed straight from 1978 until January 2019.

Much of the Socialist’s defeat in the last elections was tied to widespread corruption.

However, the worst results in the Socialist Party’s history in Andalusia may not bode well for Spain’s national left-wing coalition government as it is blamed by the right for high inflation and relatively sluggish economic growth.