Spain moves to the right in nationwide local elections

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Spain has decisively swung toward the right after local elections Sunday resulted in right-wing parties winning power in most major cities and in several regional governments.

The conservative Popular Party and far-right party Vox surged in popularity across the country as the liberal Ciudadanos party virtually disappeared.

The outcome was a blow for Spain’s left-wing parties, particularly since it occurred only months before general elections.

The Socialist Party is likely to lose leadership of the regions of Valencia, Aragon, the Balearic Islands and La Rioja, with the vast majority of the vote counted. However, in many of those regions, the Popular Party fell short of an absolute majority and will likely need to negotiate with Vox.

The Popular Party is also set to replace the Socialist Party in Extremadura, with 79% of the votes counted. Meanwhile, with 78% of the votes tallied, the Socialist government in Castilla-La Mancha is hanging on by a thread.

In both the city and region of Madrid, the Popular Party appears set to win absolute majorities and will not have to rely on Vox. Meanwhile, the far-left party Podemos has lost its representation at both levels of Madrid’s government.

The Popular Party also gained the leadership of Cantabria from a regionalist party.

The mainstream conservative party has also won power in all major cities in Andalusia, many of which have traditionally been left-wing strongholds. Cadiz, for example, has ousted a far-left Podemos mayor in favor of a Popular Party mayor.

Barcelona also voted out its far-left mayor Ada Colau for a liberal separatist candidate — former mayor Xavier Trias.

"The results of these elections are worrying. The advance of the reactionary wave is clear, and the retreat of the left and progressive governments is a clear warning that we need to know how to listen to," tweeted United Left leader Alberto Garzon.

Meanwhile, hundreds gathered outside the Popular Party’s headquarters in Madrid to celebrate.