Jason MoorePalma23/05/2019 19:53
TW

The biggest surprise of the local elections is Vox, the right-wing party, which could make important inroads into local politics at this weekend's elections. Vox is on the far right of Spanish politics and its followers include many members of the centre-right Partido Popular who have jumped ship. Opinion polls suggest that Vox will do relatively well in the local elections, taking two or three seats in the local parliament and a similar number of places in the council chamber on the Palma city council.

Vox is tough on immigration but some of their policies are rather unsavoury for much of the electorate, including women's rights. In the Balearics they are campaigning on an anti-Catalan platform, which could win them votes on both the right and the left of Spanish politics. I have also been quite amazed to discover that a number of expatriates are also planning to vote for the party. My view is that there is no place for radical parties both on the left or the right, with the centre ground being the area which parties should aim for.

But my view is not shared by all, and for this reason Vox and the far-left Podemos will take an important share of the vote in the local elections. If Vox and the other new centre-right party, Ciudadanos, have a good night on Sunday and the Partido Popular share of the vote stands up, then the Balearics could be heading for a change in government. At the moment the left-wing coalition is on course for re-election, but there could be surprises.