Local elections send shockwaves through Spain’s political establishment

Two new political forces, anti-austerity Podemos and market-friendly Ciudadanos, made strong gains in Spain's local and regional elections on 24 May 2015, overturning a two-party system that had seen the centre-right People's Party (PP) and rival centre-left Socialists (PSOE) alternate in power since the end of dictatorship in the 1970s.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative PP suffered huge losses in the regional and local polls, ahead of a general election taking place later in 2015. The Socialists, the country's main opposition party, had failed to capitalise on its adversary's weakness.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Spain: A four-party country? http://www.europeansources.info/record/spain-a-four-party-country/

EUObserver, 25.05.15: Spain's ruling party punished in local and regional elections https://euobserver.com/beyond-brussels/128813

The New York Times, 25.05.15: Spain’s Local Election Results Reshape Political Landscape http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/26/world/europe/spains-local-election-results-reshape-political-landscape.html

The Guardian, 25.05.15: Mariano Rajoy disappointed by indignados' election success in Spain http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/25/mariano-rajoy-disappointed-indignados-election-success-spain

BBC News, 25.05.15: Spain local elections: Podemos leader hails success http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32874790

Euronews, 25.05.15: Spain’s PM Rajoy disappointed by results in local elections http://www.euronews.com/2015/05/25/spain-s-pm-rajoy-disappointed-by-results-in-local-elections/

Euronews, 25.05.15: Three lessons from Spain’s local elections http://www.euronews.com/2015/05/25/three-lessons-from-spains-local-elections/

El País, 26.05.15: Podemos makes ousting Popular Party its priority in brokering deals http://elpais.com/elpais/2015/05/26/inenglish/1432632968_118593.html

El País, 25.05.15: PP losses at municipal, regional polls mark a swing to the left in Spain http://elpais.com/elpais/2015/05/25/inenglish/1432535433_464781.html

EurActiv, 26.05.15: Mogherini: Elections in Poland and Spain show there is a need to rethink the EU project http://www.euractiv.com/sections/eu-priorities-2020/mogherini-elections-poland-and-spain-show-there-need-rethink-eu-project

ESO: Background information: Spanish regional elections, 2015 http://www.europeansources.info/record/spanish-regional-elections-2015/

Politico, 25.05.15: A rebuke in Spain http://www.politico.eu/article/ciudadanos-podemos-political-earthquake-shakes-spain/

La Vanguardia, 26.05.15: Rajoy must face consequences after election setback (via Euro|Topics) http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/aehnliche/archiv_article/ARTICLE163532-Rajoy-must-face-consequences-after-election-setback

The Local.es, 26.05.15: Spain ushers in new era of political pact making http://www.thelocal.es/20150526/spain-ushers-in-new-era-of-pact-making

The Local.es, 25.05.15: Protest movement deals PP an historic battering http://www.thelocal.es/20150525/protest-movements-deals-pp-an-historic-battering

Euro|Topics: Main Focus, 27.05.15: New parties reshuffle the deck in Spain http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/archiv_dossier/DOSSIER163624-New-parties-reshuffle-the-deck-in-Spain

The Local.es, 27.05.15: Debt is poisoned chalice of Spain's regional vote http://www.thelocal.es/20150527/debt-is-poisoned-chalice-of-regional-vote

El País, 26.05.15: PP veterans planning to make way for new faces following election losses http://elpais.com/elpais/2015/05/26/inenglish/1432658688_365684.html

Blog: LSE EuroppBlog, 28.05.15: Where do Spain’s political parties stand after the country’s local and regional elections? http://bit.ly/1Brmuuf

El País, 28.05.15: Podemos leader admits relationship with Socialists has changed http://elpais.com/elpais/2015/05/28/inenglish/1432821438_817486.html

Blog: LSE EuroppBlog, 27.05.25: Spain’s local elections underlined the profound changes taking place in the Spanish party system http://bit.ly/1FNJQQf

El País, 10.06.15: Spanish PM rules out early elections but plans government reshuffle http://elpais.com/elpais/2015/06/10/inenglish/1433949095_784377.html

The Local.es, 12.06.15: Fractured politics sees pacts for new mayors http://www.thelocal.es/20150612/fractured-politics-sees-pacts-for-new-mayors

Blog: openDemocracy: Can Europe Make It?, 26.05.15: Towards a new municipal agenda in Spain https://www.opendemocracy.net/can-europe-make-it/carlos-delcl%C3%B3s/towards-new-municipal-agenda-in-spain

openDemocracy: 50:50, 01.06.15: Scandal and corruption: Spanish voters take their chances https://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/liz-cooper/spanish-voters-take-their-chances

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