Election debacle

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.