Spain election: Ruling party in lead, minus majority

By Alyssa McMurtry

MADRID

Spain’s ruling Popular Party, with current Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy as its leader, will win this year’s elections with a minority government, an exit poll suggests.

The poll indicates that even with the same government, Spain’s national political scene will now look radically different. Two new parties, Podemos and Citizens, will gain significant power in the Spanish Congress and Senate, with the Popular Party losing its majority.

At stake in Sunday's elections were 350 seats of the Congress, and 208 of 266 seats in the Senate.

With 81 percent of the votes counted, the conservative Popular Party appears set to win 122 seats in the Congress, down from 185. For an absolute majority, 178 seats are needed.

According to unofficial results, Socialists are expected to get the second most seats with 92, with Podemos winning 69 and Citizens 38.

The suggestion that Rajoy’s Popular Party would win a minority government is unsurprising, but what does stand out is the surge of support for the left-wing Podemos party and a disappointing result for the economically liberal Citizens party. Previous polls had Citizens in second place and Podemos in fourth.

This data is based on the most “ambitious” Spanish exit poll, conducted by a private company for the public Spanish Radio and Television (RTVE), using data from 177,000 voters in more than 1,200 voting points.

This poll will cost the country an estimated 470,000 euros ($510,750) and has come under fire by the Spanish media. Critics highlight the fact that the survey results will only be valid for two hours, at which point the official results are expected to be announced.

A second exit poll conducted for Spanish television network Antena 3 suggests similar results.