The Partido Popular (PP) led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo won the most votes and seats in Spain’s general election yesterday, Sunday, but the PSOE led by the current Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, resisted better than expected and governance remains up in the air as neither got an absolute majority and reached the magic number of 176 seats to automatically be named the new Prime Minister.
On paper, there are more options for the PSOE leader, who has a broader range of pacts (coalitions) to agree on with other parties. However, neither the parties on the right (PP and Vox) nor the ones on the left (PSOE, Sumar, and their other usual allies) still have enough to reach an absolute majority.
With 97% of the vote counted, the PSOE has won 122 seats, two more than in the last elections, while the PP, which polls placed on the verge of an absolute majority with Vox, have 136, a good result that represents an increase of 47 seats, but insufficient given the expectations in polls and private surveys before the elections that they would do much better.
In total, Feijóo is six seats short of winning as a coalition between the PP (136 seats), Vox (33), and UPN (1), gives them 170 seats.
In comparison, the PSOE (122 seats) and Sumar (31) are even further away on 153 seats. Factor in Sanchez’s other allies: ERC (7), EH Bildu (6), PNV (5), and BNG (1), and they sit on 172 seats, four away from the absolute majority.
This leaves the seven seats won by JuntsxCatalunya led by Carles Puigdemont who, despite losing a seat could decide which side gets an absolute majority. Previously they would be seen as going in favour of Sánchez, but some of the demands that they raised during the electoral campaign, make this possibility almost impossible.
If an agreement can’t be made to give either side an absolute majority, then another election will be called and the people will go back to the polls.
