Election in Spain is resisted by right winger Coach falls more than 100 meters in Colombia

Once again, the research institutes were wrong. Ahead of Spain’s parliamentary elections on Sunday, they predicted a victory for the right-wing camp and a majority for the conservative People’s Party (PP) along with the far-right Vox. But the shift to the right did not happen. A majority for a right-wing government is not in sight.

The PP and its leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo are number one, but at the same time no party has lost more votes and seats in the House of Representatives than Vox. The “secret” winner of the election is incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The socialist could form a government with the support of regional and separatist parties.

Sánchez’s poker game of snap elections during the holiday season has succeeded at least in part, even as there is speculation of a new election in the winter. But there is still a lot at stake, and a certain bewilderment can be seen among the first analysts about the Spanish elections. The result is difficult to understand.

Majority against participation Vox

For example, reference is made to the increasingly shrill election campaign of the conservatives of Feijóo, which eventually even slides into Trumpism, with the PP trying to raise doubts about the result in advance. Oddly enough, Vox’s miserable performance has hardly been a problem so far. The right-wing extremists lost 19 of their 52 seats in parliament.

This crash is not entirely unexpected. In an opinion poll released two weeks before the election, more than 60 percent of respondents said they were concerned about Vox’s participation in government. Experiences from those regions and municipalities in which Vox already governs with the People’s Party contributed to this.

Against women’s and LGBTQ rights

There were repeated attempts at censorship, which is why cultural figures such as director Pedro Almodóvar called on the population to go to the polls and reject the “conservative offensive”. In addition, Vox has, also compared to comparable parties in Europe, a radical program and wants to reverse women’s and LGBTQ rights.

Spain has made great progress in these areas in recent years. It is possible that the backlash that threatens to slide to the right may have itself sparked a backlash against right-wing extremists, ultimately scaring off potential Vox voters. A more detailed evaluation of Sunday’s results could provide information.

Like Republicans at the Midterms

Such a setback should come as no surprise. Republicans in the US had the same experience in last November’s midterm elections. Even then, the polls pointed to a “red tsunami”. In the end, they won only a slim majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate remains democratically controlled.

One of the main reasons came from the election day exit polls. In addition to high inflation, the issue of abortion was cited as the main motivation for running in the elections. Six months earlier, the Supreme Court had overturned the national right to abortion, which had existed for nearly 50 years.

Some understood

The lingering anger of many American women over this verdict was underrepresented in the polls. Something similar may have happened in Spain. What is clear is that right-wing populists are entering the minefield when they try to attack the rights of women and sexual minorities.

Some understood that. They polemicize against the supposed wave of awakening, but so far shy away from taking drastic measures. This applies to the right-wing government in Italy as well as to Hungary’s longtime head of government, Viktor Orban. The German AfD even “decorates” itself with its lesbian co-chair Alice Weidel.

Republicans continue on a radical course

It can be difficult for others, such as Poland’s ruling national conservative party PiS. She passed a near-total ban on abortion and could lose the next election, likely to be held in October. In the US, too, Republicans continue their ‘crusade’ against unwanted pregnancies.

In the state of Iowa, which used to be quite moderate, they recently decided to ban abortion from the sixth week of pregnancy. It’s blocked in court. And Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville has been blocking military promotions for weeks because the military is too pro-abortion.

Critics warn that with this radical course, Republicans face another threat of defeat in the 2024 elections. Vox’s losses in Spain are another indicator. The right-wing populists should not be underestimated. But if they overdo it, they will reach their limits – as long as the foundations of a democracy are intact.