Spain plunged into political unrest on Sunday after national elections left no party with enough support to form a government, most likely leading to weeks of horse trading or potentially a fresh vote later this year.
The returned results show that most of the votes are divided between the center right and center left. But neither Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s ruling Socialist Party nor his conservative opponents won enough votes to rule alone in the 350-seat National Assembly.
While the conservatives went ahead, the allies they may have teamed up to form a government within the far-right Vox party have seen their support, as the Spaniards reject the radical parties.
The result was an inconclusive election and a political mess that has become familiar to Spaniards since their bipartisan system broke down nearly a decade ago. It seems likely to leave Spain in political limbo at a crucial time when it holds the rotating presidency of the Council of Europe as it faces the threat of Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Profits brought to the conservative Popular Party a seat advantage over Mr. Sánchez’s socialists. While slim, that number is expected to grow.
They had hoped to win an absolute majority and rule without Vox, which many party officials consider outdated, incompatible with moderate Spanish values and dangerous.
When the votes came, the Popular Party tried to put on a positive face, saying that they came in first place. Party general secretary Concepción Gamarra said this was “the only thing we know.”
But that is not enough.
A political mess is not new for Spain. In 2016, the country spent 10 months in political limbo as it transitioned from one election to another. Mr. Sánchez then ousted the conservative prime minister and seized power in a parliamentary maneuver in 2018. More elections followed until Mr. Sánchez finally assembled a minority government with the far left and support of small independent parties in Congress.
This time, Mr. Sánchez, a leading survivor of the political school, once again defied expectations, increasing his party’s seats in Congress and winning enough support from his leftist allies to prevent the formation of a conservative government.
In the weeks leading up to the election, Mr. Sánchez and his leftist allies have raised concerns about his conservative opponents’ willingness to partner with Vox, potentially making it the first far-right party to enter government since the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco nearly 50 years ago.
The prospect of Vox sharing power in government worried many Spaniards and caused ripples throughout the European Union and its remaining liberal strongholds, surprising many who once considered Spain to have been vaccinated against political extremists since the end of Franco’s regime in the 1970s.
Liberals argue that Vox’s ascension will represent an unsettling turnaround for Spain and another sign of the rise of the right in Europe. Instead, Vox sank and may have reduced the chances for the Popular Party to rule with it.
Mr. Sánchez, who has ruled Spain for five years, will remain the head of the caretaker government when the composition of the new government or the timing of new elections is determined.
Analysts have noted that Hispanic voters have grown weary of right- and left-wing extremism and have sought to return to the center. They say a new election would continue that trend and potentially further reduce Vox’s influence. The Popular Party hoped that they would regain their vote and grow large enough to govern on their own.
A progressive darling of the European Union, Mr. Sánchez has presided over the economic recovery, but he has alienated many voters by making good on promises and building alliances with political parties linked to Catalan separatists and Basque terrorists who have also previously sought to break away from Spain.
Arnold Merino, 43, who voted for the conservative People’s Party, said: “It was very difficult for me to decide until the last minute. “People don’t trust him.”
Mr. Sanchez call for early elections – they were scheduled for the end of the year – after a local and regional election in May.
In the final days of the race, the Socialists and far-left umbrella group, Sumar, were upbeat about their ability to turn the tide as polls showed they were ahead. Billboards across Spain show Mr Sánchez looking young and elegant under a sign that says “Forward” next to black and white photographs of conservative leaders reading “Back”.
The Popular Party favors policy proposals less than it opposes Mr. Sánchez. Both conservatives and their far-right allies have waged a scathing campaign of criticism of Mr Sánchez, or the style of rule they call “Sanchismo”, saying he cannot be trusted by breaking promises to voters, allying with the far left and cutting electoral deals that put his own political existence above national interests.
Even so, Spain in recent years seems to be a bright spot for liberals. Mr. Sánchez kept inflation low, eased tensions with Catalan separatists and boosted economic growth, pensions and the minimum wage.
But the alliance between Mr. Sánchez and deeply polarized far-left and separatist forces has sparked outrage among many voters. The entire campaign, which includes warnings by Mr. Sánchez and his far-left allies against Vox extremism, turn on the bad company of the allies of the main parties.
And yet, for all the talk of extremism, the results show that Spanish voters, many of whom are haunted by dictatorships and decades of terror due to related territorial disputes, have turned to the center.
The Vox party, seen by many as an obvious descendant of the Franco dictatorship, is in danger of losing more than 20 seats. It opposes abortion and LGBTQ rights and the European Union’s interference in Spanish affairs, and is firmly anti-immigrant.
“I think people want to go back to bipartisanship, because it brings stability,” Mr. Merino said. “With the famous Party, you know what you are getting.”
Vox’s leader, Santiago Abascal, broke away from the Popular Party amid a black fund scandal in 2013. Vox began with stunts like flying the Spanish flag over Gibraltar, the southern tip of the country controlled by Britain since 1713.
It filmed alternate realities in which Muslims imposed Shariah law in southern Spain and turned Cordoba Cathedral is back to being a mosque. In another video, scored for the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, a cultural underpinning for Europe’s new hardline, Mr Abascal leads an equestrian army to reconquer Europe.
“It is very allegorical. But it’s also beautiful,” said Aurora Rodil, Vox deputy mayor of the southern town of Elche, who has ruled with the mayor of the Popular Party. “There is so much to be conquered in Spain.”
But Sunday’s vote showed they were hit back.
“Spain is really balanced,” said Ramon Campoy, 35, as he got off work Friday in Barcelona, standing under the LGBTQ flag in a square decorated with an equestrian statue of Ramon Berenguer III, who ruled Catalonia in the 11th century.
Mr. Campoy added, “I think the country is really at the center.”
