Rarely have Spanish legislative elections attracted so much attention from Brussels and European capitals as those that took place on Sunday 23 July. The prospect of a possible coalition between the People’s Party (PP, right) and Vox (extreme right) seemed to confirm an inevitable course followed by a Europe plagued by the rise of extremes. And the laboratory of the union of Spanish lefts around the Socialist Party (PSOE), seemed out of breath, despite the significant social conquests recorded over the past five years.
The results finally belied these forecasts and the mobilization of the Spaniards to block the far right was welcomed with relief in Brussels, less than a year from the European elections.
Vox lost three points (12% of the vote) and nineteen of the fifty-two seats it had obtained in Parliament in 2019. The PP and Vox did not obtain enough deputies to form a majority and govern. As for the head of government, Pedro Sanchez, he has once again shown his capacity for resistance. “The moral winner of these elections is Pedro Sanchez. He didn’t lose his bet.” to curb the right and Vox, rejoices a European source, on condition of anonymity. The socialist leader had received the support of left-wing leaders around the world in a manifesto signed in particular by the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, or the prime ministers of Portugal, Anton Costa, Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, or Malta, Robert Abela.
In the European Parliament, the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) Group believes that “the message is clear: Spain says no to the far right in government”. This “clear defeat” by Vox proves that “the rise of anti-LGBTI and climate deniers is not inevitable if voters uphold European values”Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt, who sits alongside elected Macronists in the Renew Europe group, also said on Twitter. The message from the former Belgian prime minister is above all aimed at the group of conservatives from the European People’s Party (EPP) – of which the Spanish PP is a member -, which has formed an objective alliance with eurosceptics and the far right to weaken the bill on the restoration of nature, failing to have succeeded in burying it. “The EPP’s irresponsible shift to the populist right must also fail in next year’s European elections”, therefore added Mr. Verhofstadt.
You have 56.67% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.