Spain’s ruling Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE), already struggling amid a series of corruption and sexual harassment scandals, has suffered another setback after a poor performance in Sunday’s regional election in the northwestern region of Extremadura.
The PSOE lost 10 of its 28 seats, while the far-right Vox party doubled its representation from five to 11 seats compared to two years ago. Extremadura, long a left-wing stronghold, had already fallen to the conservative People’s party (PP) led by María Guardiola in 2023, who has governed in an unstable coalition with Vox.
Guardiola called a snap election after Vox refused to approve her budget, but her hopes of winning an absolute majority were dashed when the PP fell four seats short of the required 33. This leaves her once again dependent on a resurgent Vox to form a government.
In a low-turnout election, the PSOE lost 108,000 votes. Rather than shifting to its mainstream rival, the PP, these votes were distributed between Vox and United for Extremadura (UxE), which increased its share from four to seven seats. UxE is affiliated with Sumar, the left-wing umbrella group that is part of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s coalition government.
The result is also a disappointment for the PP, which has tried to distance itself from Vox for fear of losing centrist voters. In regions where the PP governs in coalition with Vox, such as Aragón and Valencia, Vox has proven to be a difficult and often unreliable partner.
Contrary to the common assumption that young men are the primary supporters of the far right, a survey by the news site eldiario.es indicates that Vox’s core support in Extremadura comes from men aged 35 to 54.
The PSOE’s candidate in Extremadura, Miguel Ángel Gallardo, is facing trial on charges of influence-peddling and abuse of office over allegations that he helped create a tailor-made job for the prime minister’s brother, David Sánchez, eight years ago. Both Gallardo and David Sánchez—who faces the same charges—deny any wrongdoing.
Other senior PSOE members accused of corruption include Sánchez’s right-hand man, Santos Cerdán, who is accused of taking kickbacks on public contracts, as is former transport minister José Luis Ábalos. Both deny the allegations.
While the PP is just beginning to recover from its own corruption scandals, which led to the fall of Mariano Rajoy’s government in 2018, Vox—which has never been in national government—has sought to present itself as a clean alternative.
However, members of Revuelta, Vox’s youth organization, are facing charges over the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of euros the group collected for victims of the flooding in Valencia in October 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs Spains Regional Election Results
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What exactly happened in these regional elections
In recent regional elections in Spain the governing Spanish Socialist Workers Party lost a significant number of seats and votes compared to previous elections At the same time the farright party Vox gained seats and increased its political influence
2 Who are the Socialists in Spain
The PSOE is Spains main centerleft political party currently leading the national government under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez They are traditionally associated with social welfare policies workers rights and progressive social reforms
3 Who is the far right that gained ground
Vox is a Spanish political party described as nationalist socially conservative and antiimmigration It emphasizes national unity traditional values and stricter law and order Its rise marks the first significant farright presence in Spanish government since the Franco dictatorship
4 Why is this result a big deal for Spain
Spain had been an exception in Western Europe with no strong farright party in parliament for decades after its return to democracy These results show that pattern changing which could shift the countrys political landscape and policy debates significantly
Intermediate Analytical Questions
5 What are the main reasons the Socialists lost support
Analysts point to several factors voter fatigue with the national government concerns about inflation and the cost of living internal disagreements within the leftwing coalition and a perception that the government is focused on national cultural issues rather than local economic concerns
6 What issues did Vox successfully campaign on
Vox focused on themes like sovereignty immigration control law and order and opposition to progressive gender and identity policies promoted by the left They positioned themselves as a defender of traditional Spain
7 Does this mean Spain is suddenly becoming a farright country
Not necessarily While Voxs growth is significant it still generally comes in third or fourth place in vote share The results often show a
