Politics are changing

It was a win which started when Catalonia declared independence from Spain. Last weekend the far right party, Vox, made headline news across the country when it won 12 seats in the Andalusia elections. The party, which advocates the unity of Spain, won 10 percent of the vote which sent shockwaves down the Spanish political system. It was the first time since the era of democracy in the late 1970s, that a far right party had made gains in an election. And what is more there is talk of a right wing coalition consisting of the Partido Partido, Ciudadanos and Vox governing Andalusia, which for decades has been a stronghold of the Spanish Socialist Party. The independence movement in Catalonia has led to a rise in Spanish nationalism and Vox appears to have tapped into this discord. Now, obviously Andalusia is not the whole of Spain and the rise of the far right could be seen as just a drop in the ocean. But with regional elections on the horizon in May there is a fear that Vox could continue to win a share of the vote. Plans for a general election which had been widely muted especially if the socialists had been successful in Andalusia, are now expected to be placed on hold. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was looking for a good result in southern Spain; he is in a very difficult position with his minority government having to rely on smaller parties to stay in power. His dream of early elections has now become a nightmare and it will be interesting to see his next move.