Jason MoorePalma30/04/2019 19:38
TW

The centre-right Partido Popular were traditionally the big winners of Spanish elections. They governed across Spain and in Madrid with landslide victories. They were the only party capable of winning an overall majority both in Palma and in Madrid. But the Partido Popular have fallen from grace and came a distant second in the general election on Sunday. In Majorca, which has been ruled by the PP on countless occasions, they suffered some humiliating blows as they were swept aside by their rivals in the Spanish socialist party. If the general election results are repeated in the local elections next month, then a sizeable proportion of the island will be governed by the socialists.

What has happened to the PP? A string of corruption cases has dented their support and the arrival on the scene of Ciudadanos (to the left of the PP) and Vox (to the right) has effectively split their support. The scale of their election debacle is so severe that they may not even be the "official opposition"; Ciudadanos are trying to grab this title.

What next for the PP? They can probably expect another big defeat in the local elections. A day is a long time in politics and the PP look to have had their day. They will have to re-invent themselves ... the new Partido Popular. Meanwhile, the socialists are enjoying the moment and look set to govern the islands again.