Confused by the ABC’s of Spain’s political parties? That’s understandable, given that the Spanish political landscape is now more fragmented that at any time since the country’s return to democracy in the late 1970s.
With a total of 22 political parties currently represented in Spain’s Congress of Deputies as a result of the November general elections, Progressive Spain has completely updated our POLITIFILE directory to political parties in an effort to help our readers sort through the “alphabet soup” of party names and acronyms and decipher exactly where each of the parties stand on the left-right political spectrum.
In the list below, we’ve revamped the order in the POLITIFILE directory so readers can clearly see not only where the national parties sit on the ideological scale, but also where the smaller regional parties lay in the ideological balance — important to remember, as the smaller regional parties will be crucial to the balance of power when it comes to passing budgets and legislation in the new Congress.
You can always find our POLITIFILE directory by clicking on the banner link in the right-hand column of any page of Progressive Spain. But, for now, scroll through the list below to get a grasp on Spain’s current political landscape and the challenges facing the next government in 2020 and beyond …
NATIONAL :: Left-of-Centre Parties/Coalitions
Partido Socialista Obrero Español ~ Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE)
Founded in 1879, Spain’s oldest political party and largest party on the political left. The PSOE is a full member of the Socialist International and a member of the international Progressive Alliance of social-democratic political parties. ►► READ MORE ►►
Unidas Podemos ~ United We Can
A left-wing coalition formed in 2016, amalgamating a group of national and regional left-wing parties and led by the populist “new-left” Podemos party and legacy “old-left” Izquierda Unida (United Left) alliance of parties. ►► READ MORE ►►
Podemos ~ We Can
A populist, anti-austerity party founded in 2014 by left-wing political activists to leverage the 2010-11 mass movement of citizens literally indignant (indignados) over the economic malaise in Spain sparked by the global mortgage default crisis. ►► READ MORE ►►
Izquierda Unida ~ United Left (IU)
A left-wing alliance of several political parties and movements formed in 1986 around the Partido Comunista Español (Spanish Communist Party) and the legacy Spanish Republican party, Izquierda Republicana (Republican Left). ►► READ MORE ►►
Más País ~ More Country
A centre-left political party and electoral platform created in the run-up to Spain’s November 2019 general elections, the party fielded candidates in 18 of Spain’s most populous provinces alone or in coalition with other parties, including eQuo. ►► READ MORE ►►
EQUO ~ eQuo
A “green” environmentalist party founded in 2010, eQUO was formed through the merger of 35 different green parties and often fields candidates in regional and national elections in coalition with other parties and movements. ►► READ MORE ►►
NATIONAL :: Right-of-Centre Parties/Coalitions
Partido Popular ~ People’s Party (PP)
Spain’s largest conservative party, formed through the fusion in 1989 of various parties and movements led by former Franco-era officials. Full member of the European People’s Party federation of Christian-Democrat and conservative parties. ►► READ MORE ►►
VOX
A far-right. ultra-nationalist political party launched in January 2014 by former members of the conservative Partido Popular (PP) … ►► READ MORE ►►
Ciudadanos ~ Citizens (C’s)
A constitutionalist centre-right party founded in Catalonia in 2006 on a mix of social-democrat and liberal policy positions. A member since 2014 of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament. ►► READ MORE ►►
NATIONAL :: Other Parties/Coalitions
Partido Animalista Contra el Maltrato Animal ~ Animalist Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (PACMA)
An animal-rights activist organization and political party that advocates against cruelty and abuse toward animals as part of its overall vision of defending animal rights, protecting the environment and promoting social justice. ►► READ MORE ►►
REGIONAL :: Left-of-Centre Parties/Coalitions
Basque Country:
Euskal Herria Bildu ~ Basque Country Unite (EH Bildu)
EH Bildu is a leftwing, pro-independence Basque nationalist electoral coalition established in 2012 active in Spain’s northern regions of the Basque Country, Navarre and Burgos, and the Basque-speaking region of southwest France. ►► READ MORE ►►
Canary Islands:
Nueva Canarias (NCa) – New Canaries
A centre-left Canarian nationalist political party founded on Grand Canary Island in 2005 after leading members of the former Iniciativa Canaria Nacionalista (ICAN) split from the Coalición Canaria (CC). ►► READ MORE ►►
Catalonia:
Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya ~ Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC)
Centre-left Catalan nationalist party, seeking Catalan sovereignty and independence for Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, part of Aragon and southern France. Affiliated in European Parliament with the Greens–European Free Alliance. ►► READ MORE ►►
En Comú Podem ~ Together We Can
Catalan electoral coalition represented in Spain’s national Congress of Deputies and Senate, formed in October 2015 and comprised of several political parties and movements, including Barcelona en Comú (Barcelona In Common) and the Catalan section of national anti-austerity party Podemos. ►► READ MORE ►►
Catalunya en Comú – Podem (CeC-Podem)
Coalition initially formed in 2017 between Catalunya en Comú and the Podem affiliate of national Podemos party to contest regional parliamentary elections. ►► READ MORE ►►
Candidatura d’Unitat Popular ~ United People’s Candidacy (CUP)
A far-left, Catalan nationalist party active at the municipal and regional level in Spain’s northeast region of Catalonia, with a minor presence in Valencia. ►► READ MORE ►►
Valencia:
Coalició Compromís ~ Commitment Coalition
Valencia regional coalition of the Bloc Nacionalista Valencià (Valencian Nationalist Bloc), Iniciativa del Poble Valencià (Valencian People’s Initiative) and Verds-Equo del País Valencià (Greens-Equo of the Valencian Country). ►► READ MORE ►►
Galicia:
En Marea ~ The Tide
Regional electoral coalition in Galicia formed in November 2015 and comprised of the regional affiliate of national anti-austerity party Podemos and local municipal movements and parties that competed in May 2015 municipal elections. ►► READ MORE ►►
Bloque Nacionalista Galego ~ Gallegan Nationalist Bloc
A left-of-centre Galician nationalist movement that defines itself as a “united front” in favor independence for Spain’s northwest region of Galicia. ►► READ MORE ►►
REGIONAL :: Right-of-Centre Parties/Coalitions
Asturias:
Foro Asturias ~ Asturias Forum A centre-right political party in Spain’s northern region of Asturias that was formed in 2011 by former Partido Popular (PP) minister Francisco Álvarez-Cascos, who left the PP after a dispute over Asturian regional elections that year.►► READ MORE ►►
Basque Country:
Partido Nacionalista Vasco ~ Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ-PNV) Centre-right party governing the Basque Country for most of the period since early-1980s devolution of Basque autonomy; nationalist (not pro-independence), pro-European and affiliated with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. ►► READ MORE ►►
Canary Islands:
Coalición Canaria (CC) ~ Canary Coalition
Regional, centre-right political party governing the Canary Islands in coalition since 1993; Canarian nationalist (but not pro-independence) and pro-European, affiliated in the European Parliament with European Democratic Party (EDP). ►► READ MORE ►►
Catalonia:
Junts per Catalunya ~ Together for Catalonia (JxCAT)
A Catalan centre-right, pro-independence electoral platform formed to contest 2017 regional elections with candidates from PDeCAT party and independents, JxCAT has since run candidate lists in general elections in April and November 2019 and currently holds the eight seats in Spain’s Congress of deputies. ►► READ MORE ►►
Partit Demòcrata Europeu Català (PDeCat) ~ Catalan European Democratic Party Catalonia’s longstanding centre-right nationalist party, formerly Convergència Democràtica (CDC), that has governed Catalonia for most of the past 40 years; following a Tribuna Constitucional disallowal of a 2014 informal consulta on Catalans’ willingness to hold an independence referendum, PDeCAT switched its position to full support of Catalan independence. ►► READ MORE ►►
Navarra:
Navarra Suma ~ NA+ A regional, centre-right electoral coalition between the Union del Pueblo Navarra (UPN) and national PP and Ciudadanos parties, formed to contest the April 2019 general election and May 2019 regional election in Navarra. ►► READ MORE ►►
REGIONAL :: Other Parties/Coalitions
Aragon:
¡Teruel Existe! ~ Teruel Exists!
A citizens movement in southern Aragon’s Teruel province, demanding equal treatment for the province in the delivery of government investment in infrastructure and public services. ►► READ MORE ►►
Cantabria:
Partido Regionalista de Cantabria ~ Regionalist Party of Cantabria (PRC)
A centrist and traditionalist party guided by the mission of protecting and defending the interests of the Spain’s northern region of Cantabria. ►► READ MORE ►►
