[Published: Sunday November 10 2019]
Spain's fourth vote in four years
MADRID 10 Nov (ANA) - Voters in Spain have returned to the polls for a fourth general election in as many years.
After the last election in April, the governing Socialist Party (PSOE) won the most seats but fell short of a majority and was unable to form a coalition.
Spain has not had a stable government since 2015.
The vote is being overshadowed by unrest in Catalonia and the rise of the far-right Vox party.
After April's vote, Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez entered coalition talks with the leftist Podemos party, but these collapsed - causing them to miss a September deadline to form a new government.
At a closing rally on Friday, Mr Sánchez told supporters: "There are only two options: either vote for the Socialists so that we have a government, or vote for any other party to block Spain from getting a progressive government."
He is arguably at an advantage in his current position as caretaker leader, despite having never won a parliamentary majority.
But the latest opinion polls show none of the parties winning a majority.
Instead, they show Socialists in the lead again, but with fewer votes than in April's election, and the conservative People's Party (PP) and Vox making gains.(ANA)
FA/ANA/10 November 2019----- |