Spain stops 'Meloni wave,' says Spanish media

GENEVA

Sunday’s snap general elections in Spain resulted in the opposition conservative party securing the most seats, but according to Spanish media analyses, the new government will depend on outside support from the separatist political parties in the Basque Country and Catalonia.

Daily La Vanguardia described the results as “Spain stops the Meloni wave” in its headline, referring to the far-right Italian prime minister who came to power in Italy last October.

The media outlet said that the right-wing People’s Party (PP) won the elections in Spain with votes below expectations. Still, they could not reach an agreement for the parliamentary majority together with the far-right Vox. La Vanguardia stressed that Pedro Sanchez, the current prime minister and leader of the Socialist Worker’s Party (PSOE), should convince the Together for Catalunya (JxCAT) party, which has not supported him until now, that he should stay at the helm.

“The PP won, but the resistance of the PSOE and Sumar (leftist party) frustrated its majority with Vox and left the government in the air,” wrote daily El Pais.

Although Alberto Nunez Feijoo from the PP won, Sanchez gained votes and seats, it said, and added that the parliament that is leaving allows the PSOE to repeat its majority.

However, El Pais underlined that it is “very difficult” for PP to come to power, as the party is unlikely to find outside support.

“Feijoo won but (former Catalan President Carles) Puigdemont will be able to make Sanchez prime minister,” El Mundo said.

The daily said that Sunday’s victory was “bitter” for the PP, and the defeat was “sweet” for the PSOE.

“Although Alberto Nunez Feijoo has won the elections, the truth is that Pedro Sanchez could govern again, forming a new alliance of losers and with the acquiescence – in the form of abstention – of Junts (JxCAT), the party of the fugitive Carles Puigdemont,” it added.

ABC daily titled its election evaluation: “Puigdemont or block.”

“Ablockade is a certain possibility, and avoiding an electoral repetition depends on the former Catalan president,” it said.

“Feijoo wins, Sanchez blocks,” La Razon daily said.

“Puigdemont can be key” for the PSOE to govern, it underscored, and added that the PP could not reach an absolute majority with Vox to achieve an investiture.

As predicted, the Popular Party won the most seats in Sunday’s election with 136. But with the far-right Vox party only winning 33, the two parties fell short of the 176 seats needed for an absolute majority.

PSOE won 122 seats, while Sumar 31, the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) 7, JxCAT 7, EH Bildu 6, the Basque Nationalist Party 5, and the others won 3 seats.