Podemos becomes the second political force in the Balearics

The PP won the greatest share of the vote, but it was down 20% to 29% compared with 2011. PSOE, which had been the second force in terms of percentage of the vote, saw its position slip to third behind Podemos. Its worst performance ever in the Balearics left it with one deputy fewer and a 10% decline to just under 19% of the share of the vote.

A Podemos 23% share represented getting on for 23,000 more actual votes than PSOE received. It registered over 111,000, whereas PSOE was over 88,000 (the PP received 140,500 votes).

The eight deputies that will now take their seats in Congress are: Mateo Isern, José Vicente Marí (PP); Juan Pedro Yllanes and Mae de la Concha (Podemos); Ramon Socías and Sofía Hernanz (PSOE); Fernando Navarro (C's).  

Candidate reactions
Mateo Isern, the former mayor Palma who had topped the list of Partido Popular candidates for Congress, expressed "genuine satisfaction" with the results. Three deputies to Congress and four senators had been won through the regaining of some 17,000 votes that had been lost at the regional elections in May.

Isern said that the PP had scored "good marks" but that they were not "outstanding". It had come as a "genuine surprise", however, that Podemos had done better than PSOE (in terms of share of the vote). "It seems that PSOE continues to fall and appears to have no base; it is very surprising."

Juan Pedro Yllanes, the judge who is now on extended "leave" from his profession, will be taking his seat in Congress as one of two Podemos deputies. Echoing what Mateo Isern had said, Yllanes said that coming second in the Balearics was "historic". He said that the election had been a real "rush" (in the sense of the euphoria from certain drugs). "We're heading towards a new country. No one can say otherwise."

He continued by saying that Podemos does not compete against anyone. "Only against the banks and all those people. This is historic. From here, there is no ceiling. We are going to the top." He also alluded to certain changes that are now necessary, such as reform of electoral law.

Ramon Socías for PSOE was looking to how a new government might take shape. "Any alternative government of the left has to go through PSOE, as we continue to be the most voted-for force on the left." He said that the only pact that had been ruled out was one with the PP and he saw an "exciting political calendar opening". "In this, we socialists have an advantage, given that Rajoy has shown himself incapable of arriving at agreements."

After the festive period, Socias admitted, PSOE in the Balearics would be sitting down and analysing what had been poor results for the party.

Fernando Navarro of Ciudadanos said that the election represented a "quantum leap" for his party. "We have managed to break the PP-PSOE monopoly." He thanked the 70,000 plus who voted for the C's, a number three times greater than had supported the party at May's regional elections.

The Més lead candidate for Congress, Antoni Verger, made one of the most emotional addresses, his party having failed to secure a place in the national parliament. It was a case of saying goodbye to an objective "not just for this election but for decades". Saddened that it would not be possible to send to Congress a candidate who "genuinely represents the Balearics", he thanked the 36,000 people who had voted for Més and added that it was a better result than four years previously. "But it was not sufficient. We will carry on working."

Jaume Font, the leader of El Pi, said that the election had not gone as the party might have hoped, but he believed that El Pi had fought a "good campaign" and was close to the people. He stated that it was necessary for there to be parliamentary representation of a nationalist style for the Balearics and said that it had been a "shame" that an approach made to Més to join forces for the election had been turned down. This would have given a platform representative of specific interests similar to those in other regions.

Despite failing to win a seat, Font was optimistic. "We are a young party with just two years experience. We have representation in 34 municipalities and the Council of Majorca as well as three deputies in the regional parliament."