MADRID, SPAIN - Prime Minister Pedro Snchezs Socialists won Spains national election on Sunday but large gains by the upstart far-right Vox party appear certain to widen the political deadlock in the European Unions fifth-largest economy.
After a fourth national ballot in as many years and the second in less than seven months, the left-wing Socialists held on as the leading power in the National Parliament. With 99% of the votes counted, the Socialists won 120 seats, down three seats from the last election in April and still far from the absolute majority of 176 needed to form a government alone.
The big political shift came as right-wing voters flocked to Vox, which only had broken into Parliament in the spring for the first time.
The far-right party led by 43-year-old Santiago Abascal, who speaks of reconquering Spain in terms that echo the medieval wars between Christian and Moorish forces, rocketed from 24 to 52 seats. That will make Vox the third leading party in the Congress of Deputies and give it much more leverage in forming a government and crafting legislation.
The party has vowed to be much tougher on both Catalan separatists and migrants.
Spain's National Vote an Epic Struggle Between Left, Right
Spaniards are voting in the country's fourth election in as many years
Abascal called his partys success the greatest political feat seen in Spain.
Just 11 months ago, we werent even in any regional legislature in Spain. Today we are the third-largest party in Spain and the party that has grown the most in votes and seats, said Abascal, who promised to battle the progressive dictatorship.
Right-wing populist and anti-migrant leaders across Europe celebrated Voxs strong showing.
Marine Le Pen, who heads Frances National Rally party, congratulated Abascal, saying it was impressive how his work is already bearing fruit after only a few years.
In Italy, Matteo Salvini of the right-wing League party tweeted a picture of himself next to Abascal with the text Congratulations to Vox! above Spanish and Italian flags. And in the Netherlands, anti-Islam Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders also posted a picture of himself and Abascal and wrote FELICIDADES Spanish for congratulations with three thumbs-up emojis.
Sundays results means there will be no end to the stalemate between forces on the right and the left in Spain, suggesting the country could go many more weeks or even months without a new government.
The mainstream conservative Popular Party rebounded from their previous debacle in the April vote to 87 seats from 66, a historic low. The far-left United We Can, which had a chance to help the Socialists form a left-wing government over the summer but rejected the offer, lost some ground to get 35 seats.
The undisputed loser of the night was the center-right Citizens party, which collapsed to 10 seats from 57 in April after its leader Albert Rivera refused to help the Socialists form a government and tried to copy some of Voxs hard-line positions.
Snchezs chances of staying in power will still hinge on finally winning over the United We Can party and several regional parties, a complicated maneuver that he has failed to pull off over the past few months.
These elections have only served for the right to grow stronger and for Spain to have one of the strongest far-right parties in Europe, said United We Can leader Pablo Iglesias. The only way to stop the far-right in Spain is to have a stable government. We again extend our hand to Pedro Snchez.
Vox has already joined forces with the Popular Party and Citizens to take over many city and regional governments in the past year. Those three groups would readily band together to oust Snchez, who is seen by the right-wing opposition as too soft on the Catalan secessionist movement.
Julia Giobelina, a 34-year-old web designer from Madrid, was angry at having to vote for the second time this year but said she cast her ballot in hopes of stopping the rise of Vox.
They are the new fascism, Giobelina said. We citizens need to stand against privatization of health care and other public services.
Spain returned to democracy in the late 1970s after a near four-decade right-wing dictatorship under the late Gen. Francisco Franco. The country used to take pride in claiming that no far-right group had seats in the national Parliament, unlike the rest of Europe.
That changed in the spring, but the Socialists April victory was still seen by many as a respite for Europe, where right-wing parties had gained much ground.
Vox relied on its anti-migrant message and attacks on laws that protect women from domestic abuse as well as what it considers leftist ideology disguised as political correctness. Still, it does not advocate a break from the EU in the very pro-EU Spain.
But it has flourished after recent riots in Catalonia by separatists, capitalizing on Spanish nationalist sentiment stirred up by the countrys worst political conflict in decades. Many right-wingers were also not pleased by the Socialist governments exhumation of Francos remains last month from his gargantuan mausoleum so he could no longer be exalted in a public place.
Dozens of people cheered and shouted President! President! on Sunday as Abascal voted in Madrid.
Only by getting rid of Snchez we can preserve Spain as it is, not by reaching agreements with the (Catalan) separatists, said Alfonso Pedro Monestilla, a 59-year-old civil servant who voted for Vox.
The debate over Catalonia, however, promises to fester.
The three Catalan separatist parties won a combined 23 seats on Sunday. Many Catalans have been angered by the decision last month by Spains Supreme Court, which sentenced to prison nine Catalan politicians and activists who led a 2017 drive for the regions independence. The ruling has triggered massive daily protests in Catalonia that left more than 500 people injured, roughly half of them police officers, and dozens arrested.
More protests are expected beginning Monday.
Some of Catalonias 5.5 million voters said they wanted their vote to deliver a message that politicians had to resolve the situation.
We are a bit tired, but I hope that the Spanish government understands that there is no other remedy than taking us into account, said Cari Bailador, a retired teacher in Barcelona.
See the original post here:
Socialists Win Spanish Election but Far-right Party Surges - VOA News
- 19 Shocking Examples Of How Political Correctness Is ... [Last Updated On: June 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 12th, 2016]
- Political Correctness / Cultural Marxism - Discover the ... [Last Updated On: June 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 12th, 2016]
- The origin and nature of political correctness (26/11/2015) [Last Updated On: June 16th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 16th, 2016]
- The Origins of Political Correctness - Accuracy In Academia [Last Updated On: June 16th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 16th, 2016]
- Political Correctness - Blogs - Jerusalem Post [Last Updated On: June 17th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 17th, 2016]
- Political correctness - the awful truth [Last Updated On: June 17th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 17th, 2016]
- 20 Outrageous Examples That Show How Political Correctness ... [Last Updated On: June 17th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 17th, 2016]
- Political correctness - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: June 17th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 17th, 2016]
- Political correctness Archives | Human Stupidity ... [Last Updated On: June 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 19th, 2016]
- Political correctness Archives | Human Stupidity ... [Last Updated On: June 26th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 26th, 2016]
- Political correctness - Simple English Wikipedia, the free ... [Last Updated On: June 29th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 29th, 2016]
- How to Be Politically Correct (with Pictures) - wikiHow [Last Updated On: July 1st, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 1st, 2016]
- Urban Dictionary: political correctness [Last Updated On: July 3rd, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 3rd, 2016]
- Political Correctness = Language and Thought Control ... [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2016]
- Political Correctness = Language and Thought Control - The ... [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2016]
- Political correctness - Uncyclopedia - Wikia [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2016]
- political correctness - The American Prospect [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2016]
- Political correctness | The Economist [Last Updated On: July 23rd, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 23rd, 2016]
- The Phony Debate About Political Correctness - ThinkProgress [Last Updated On: September 8th, 2016] [Originally Added On: September 8th, 2016]
- Political correctness - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: November 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 21st, 2016]
- Political Correctness Watch [Last Updated On: December 2nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 2nd, 2016]
- Political correctness: how the right invented a phantom ... [Last Updated On: December 4th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 4th, 2016]
- Political Correctness Gone Mad - TV Tropes [Last Updated On: December 8th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 8th, 2016]
- The Origins of Political Correctness - academia.org [Last Updated On: January 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 13th, 2017]
- Letter: A guide to political correctness - Carroll County Times [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Sports: America's Great Escape from Political Correctness - American Spectator [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Letter: Political correctness has gone too far - The Herald-News [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Boy Scouts ruined by political correctness: Your Say - USA TODAY [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Spicer says 'political correctness' infringes on 'freedom of religion' - Washington Post [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Spicer Says Religious Liberty Is Getting 'Pushed Out' By Political Correctness - TPM [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Trump's right-wing political correctness makes us less safe - Daily Kos - Daily Kos [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Political correctness exists to build respect for the oppressed - Kenyon Collegian [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Fixing political correctness - The Stanford Daily [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Authoritarian political correctness - Dailyuw [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Letter: Political correctness is akin to golden rule - The Buffalo News - Buffalo News [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- We must take a wrecking ball to political correctness to achieve our true economic potential - City A.M. [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Slamming 'political correctness,' Casper scraps recycling program ... - Casper Star-Tribune Online [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Too PC? - Two Views on Political Correctness - Huffington Post [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Political correctness is life and death on a hilarious It's Always Sunny - A.V. Club [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- To a Collegian columnist: Disregarding political correctness hinders social justice causes - Kenyon Collegian [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Pro-Trump priest casts political correctness aside and creates quite ... - BizPac Review [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Foregoing Political Correctness, The Senate Should Have Let Warren Speak - Daily Caller [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Netflix Boycott Over 'Dear White People' Is Right-Wing Political Correctness in Action - Heat Street [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Trump's Right-wing Political Correctness Makes Us Less Safe - Huffington Post [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- When Will They Purge Indian History Of Political Correctness And Teach Us As It Is? - Swarajya [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Editorial: Brown puts political correctness above jobs - Daily Astorian [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Slamming 'political correctness,' Casper scraps recycling program for electronics - Casper Star-Tribune Online [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- Letter: Political correctness has endangered our safety | INFORUM - INFORUM [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Letter to the editor: Political correctness has influenced minds - Post Register [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Political Correctness Is An Absolute Must | Time.com [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Political Correctness Propagates Radical Liberalism and Undermines The Truth - Accuracy In Media (blog) [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- Words, Tweets and Stones in the "Political Correctness" Wars ... - EconoTimes [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- 'Political correctness' mostly used as epithet - Walton Tribune [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- PewDiePie: Alt-Right Nazi, Victim of Political Correctness, or Just an Idiot? - Reason (blog) [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- Political correctness weaponized in face of unpopular opinion - The Vermilion [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2017]
- Trevor Phillips: 'Political correctness ushered in the populist wave' - The Guardian [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2017]
- Ferguson Political Correctness - The Missourian [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2017]
- The folly of political correctness is exposed by one of its high priests ... - The Times (subscription) [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- Populist correctness: the new PC culture of Trump's America and Brexit Britain - The Guardian [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- Political correctness on a downward spiral - NCC Linked [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- Publishers Pen - Political Correctness and Lawlessness: A Rant - Up & Coming Weekly [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- Better Education Responsible for Political Correctness - NYU Washington Square News [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- Fed up with political correctness - The Rushville Republican [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- The Dark State of Political Correctness - American Spectator [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- Thursday February 23, 2017 - Israel Hayom [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Jim Bailey column: Caught up in political correctness - The Herald Bulletin [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Political correctness is to blame for terrorist payout, says Leo McKinstry - Express.co.uk [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Jones: It's not political correctness, just common decency - Philly.com [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Thursday's best TV: Born Too White; Has Political Correctness Gone ... - The Guardian [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Is There Space For Political Correctness In Fashion? Gucci Says Maybe Not - Refinery29 [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Op-ed: He's just saying what we're all thinking: How political correctness fails us in the age of Trump - The Eagle [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- The Bus Campaign That's Giving UK Political Correctness a Run for ... - CBN News [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- CPAC inadvertently shows logic behind political correctness - UT The Daily Texan [Last Updated On: February 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 25th, 2017]
- Despite Rumblings About Political Correctness, the Black Oscar Nominees This Year Deserve All the Accolades - Heat Street [Last Updated On: February 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 25th, 2017]
- The backlash to political correctness was inevitable - Shoreline Beacon [Last Updated On: February 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 26th, 2017]
- EDITORIAL: Political correctness ... and more absurdities | The ... - The Daily Progress [Last Updated On: February 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 26th, 2017]
- Political correctness puts end to much loved television characters ... - Starts at 60 [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2017]
- Political Correctness Hurt the Oscars - WSAU (blog) [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2017]
- Fox News' Tucker Carlson says 'Moonlight' only won Best Picture because of political correctness - ThinkProgress [Last Updated On: March 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 1st, 2017]
- Is political correctness killing US institutions? - Canada Free Press [Last Updated On: March 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 1st, 2017]