Local elections: Socialists heading for victory, according to poll

Campaign got under way this week

Armengol: set to be returned to power.

Jason Moore13/05/2023 11:25

The Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) of Balearic leader, Francina Armengol, looks on course to be returned to power in the local elections later this month, according to the latest opinion poll.

This is how the parties are polling at the moment:

PSOE: 31.5 of votes.

Centre-right Partido Popular: 26 percent

Far right Vox: 13 percent

Mallorca nationalists Mes: 10,8 percent

Far left Unidas Podemos: 7.4 percent

Centre Ciudadanos: 2 percent.

Més for Menorca: 1.7 percent.

Nationalists Pi: 2 percent.

However, political commentators were quick to dismiss the poll saying that the election was much closer than the polls predicted. Armengol needs the support of Mes and Podemos if her coalition government is to be returned to power. The Partido Popular would be looking to pact with Vox if they gain enough votes to form a government.

Key issue

The key issue in the first week of the campaign is housing or the lack of it. All parties are promising to resolve the issue by building more council homes. It must be remembered that the coalition Balearic government had talked about introducing legislation which would have curbed non-resident foreigners from buying homes here. The move was rejected by the European Union and slammed by the Partido Popular.

Whoever wins the next elections, the Balearics will have a woman President with Francina Armengol and Marga Prohens (Partido Popular) being the two main candidates. Prohens spent part of her childhood in Southampton and is an admirer of Margaret Thatcher.