Spain's tumultuous election campaign is in its decisive moments, and it appears that Spain's conservative People's Party is poised to return to power after five years of opposition.
Samples released as polling stations close for Spain's general election predict the Conservative Party will win between 145 and 150 of the 350 seats in parliament. The outgoing ruling party, the Social Party of incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, will win between 113 and 118 seats. The third largest party in the next parliament will be the Sumar list, which incorporates 15 small parties of the radical left with 28-31 seats, followed by the sovereign right Vox party with 24-27 seats.
Spain: Madrid prepares to go to the polls // Reuters
It remains unclear whether the Conservative Party will be able to secure the required majority of 176 seats to form the next government in partnership with Vox. If it succeeds in obtaining a majority, it will be the first time since the end of the fascist dictatorship in the 70s that a right-wing nationalist party has come to power.
However, there is still no certainty that the right-wing bloc will have a majority to form a stable government, and a situation of indecision between the blocs will require new general elections. Final results of the election are expected to be released overnight.
Spanish citizens at polling stations // Photo: AFP,
Turnout in the current elections was lower than in the previous elections held in 2019, contrary to expectations. The main reasons for this were the severe heat wave in all regions of Spain and the beginning of the summer vacation, when many Spaniards are vacationing and are far from their place of residence. Accordingly, this election saw a record number of Spaniards choosing to vote by mail.
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