Spain elections: PP wins most votes but loses majority

The Spanish elections have thrown up more questions than answers, and the clock is ticking for the country to form a new government.

It could be that Spain’s traditional two-party electoral system is over. In the immediate aftermath of one of the most important and complicated elections in recent memory, it is still not clear just who will be able to form a government to steer Spain into next year and beyond…

And this is no bad thing. Coalition governments are a feature of many European countries, and usually a reflection of democracy working well to meet the wants and whims of the people. So after Spaniards went to the polls on Sunday, it became clear that there was no single party able to form a majority government.

The ‘winners’ were also, perhaps, the biggest losers. Having swept to power in 2011, the Partido Popular (People’s Party, PP) secured just 123 seats, which – although more than their nearest rivals the Socialists (PSOE) on 90 seats – left them some way short of being able to form a government.

In other words, the PP attracted 28.72% of the vote, compared to PSOE’s 22% and the 20.66% of votes cast for Podemos, the new left-wing party headed by the charismatic Pablo Iglesias. Ciudadanos secured 13.93% of the vote, leading some commentators to suggest that one of the most likely coalitions could have been between them and the PP, which would certainly seem a sensible approach given how the country voted.

However, it is not that simple. Firstly, the PP and Ciudadanos votes combined are not enough to secure a majority. And secondly, by omitting the PSOE and Podemos from government, Spain would be ignoring the wishes of more than 42% of the population who voted for them. It has been suggested that the PSOE, Podemos and Ciudadanos could, in fact, secure a “coalition of losers” and oust the PP from power altogether.

Again, though, that brings further problems – how can the Spanish government be formed from the three parties that were unable to secure the most votes, while leaving the PP on the outside despite being, in simple number terms, the most popular choice?

What is undeniable, according to Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez, is that Spain has shown its appetite for a “move to the left”, and thus PP should, he said, not have overall say in how a government is formed.

Sánchez is right in identifying Spain’s leftist approach. Podemos didn’t even exist in 2013 so to secure one-fifth of all votes is an incredible achievement. Ciudadanos and the PSOE are each left-leaning, too, which shows just how strong the sentiment now is in Spain. Add in Sánchez’s stance that his Socialist party will not be forming a coalition with a Rajoy-led government (a stance echoed by the Ciudadanos party before the election) and it is hard to see just how this mess can be easily untangled.

But in reality, it is not a mess, more a sign of a maturing electorate being offered – evidently – political parties that speak for them and have earned the trust of the people. After 32 years of PP and PSOE dominance, in which the balance of power has continued to alternate, the presence of some fresh faces and fresh ideas on Spain’s staid political landscape should be welcomed with open arms.

The real hard work begins now, but that much was true in the days leading up to the election. Spain has two months to form an administration, otherwise the country votes again. So the clock is ticking, but Spain has spoken – and awoken a new breed of politics that has washed away ancient structures.