Spanish politics rocked by far-right win in Andalusia

MADRID: The first success of a far-right party in a regional election since Spain’s return to democracy in 1975 has shaken national politics ahead of a busy electoral season.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialists were set to lose control of southern Andalusia, which it has governed for over three decades, after Vox took a surprise 12 seats in a regional election on Sunday.

That handed a majority to rightwing parties in Spain’s most populous region.

It was Sanchez’s first electoral test since taking office in June after winning a vote of no- confidence against the conservative Popular Party (PP) government of Mariano Rajoy over a corruption scandal.

Top-selling daily El Pais called the results an “earthquake” which has changed the “national political panorama”.

On Monday evening, hundreds protested against the emergence of Vox in several cities in Andalusia, including Seville and Malaga, videos posted online by Internet users and Spanish media showed.

The vote kicks off a series of polls with municipal, regional and European elections slated for May, and an early general election widely expected next year.

Vox, which takes a hard line against illegal immigration and Catalan separatism, is the first far- right party to win representation in a regional parliament in Spain since the country returned to democracy following the death of longtime dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.

With its 12 lawmakers, Vox could now play a kingmaker role in the formation of a governing coalition in Andalusia.

“We’ve got the message from citizens,” tweeted Andalusia’s Socialist president Susana Diaz, who faces an uphill struggle to remain as regional leader.

“Now it’s about ... stopping the government of Andalusia from depending on an extremist, sexist, homophobic and racist party,” she said, adding she would negotiate with political groupings.

Sanchez, who heads a minority national government that has struggled to garner opposition party support to pass its draft 2019 budget, vowed to defend democracy. — AFP