► Unidas Podemos shocker loss of 14 seats in Galician regional parliament
► PSOE has lackluster showing, to remain as PNV’s coalition partner in Euskadi
The left-of-centre parties of Spain’s coalition government turned in disappointing performances at the ballot box Sunday in the regions of Galicia and the Basque Country, with junior coalition partner Unidas Podemos failing to win a single parliamentary seat in Galicia and dropping five seats in the Basque regional parliament.
The Socialist party (PSOE) of Spanish President Pedro Sánchez failed to take advantage of the opportunity presented by Unidas Podemos’ poor showing, with the Socialists picking up just one additional seat in each regional parliament.
As expected, the conservative Partido Popular cruised to an absolute majority victory in Galicia, with regional President Alberto Núñez Feijóo winning a fourth term in office.
In the Basque Country, the centre-right Basque nationalist PNV party picked up two seats to remain the most-voted party. In virtually the PSOE’s only consolation, the PNV will again need the Socialists as a junior partner in the Basque regional government.
► News Sources: El Diario, El Confidencial and El Mundo … and
Surprisingly strong results were posted by left-wing nationalist parties in both Galicia and the Basque Country. In Galicia, the Bloque Nacionalista Galego (BNG, Gallegan Nationalist Bloc) more than trebled its showing, winning 19 seats in the regional parliament, up from six in the previous legislature.
In the Basque Country, the far-left secessionist EH Bildu party gained five seats for a total of 22 in the regional legislature, up from 17 in the last legislative session.
The rise of the BNG and EH Bildu was at the near total expense of Unidas Podemos, which virtually collapsed in Galicia — losing all 14 seats it held previously with electoral partner En Marea — and turning in a remarkably poor performance among voters in the Basque Country.
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