Spanish general election, 28 April 2019

Summary:

Reports, analyses and information related to the legislative election taking place in Spain on 28 April 2019.

Further information:

This is a snap parliamentary election triggered by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, following the rejection of a proposed draft annual budget in March 2019. The electoral campaign focused on Catalonia's attempted independence and the emergence of far-right Vox party in mainstream politics. Polls ahead of the election suggested the incumbent PSOE party would remain the largest political group in Parliament, while the Vox party could gain congressional representation for the first time. The first televised debate between the main political leaders took place on 22 April, and a second on the following day.

The election resulted in a victory for the incumbent centre-left PSOE party, gathering 123 seats in the Congress of Deputies but still not enough for an outright majority (176 required). The conservative People's Party was second (66 seats) even though it lost around half of its seats. The centre-right Ciudadanos was third (52 seats), followed by the leftist Unidas Podemos (42 seats). The far-right Vox party emerged in the Parliament in fifth place (24 seats). It was also worth noticing an increase in the share of the seats for regional parties, as well as in the overall election turnout.

• Formation of Spanish government following general election in April 2019

Commentary and Analysis

Poll of Polls: Spain https://pollofpolls.eu/ES

IFES Election Guide: Election for Congreso de los Diputados (Spanish Congress of Deputies), 28 April 2019 http://www.electionguide.org/elections/id/3217/

Wikipedia: 2019 Spanish general election https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Spanish_general_election

openDemocracy, 27/03/2019: Reconquering Europe? VOX and the extreme right in Spain https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/democraciaabierta/reconquering-europe-vox-and-extreme-right-spain/

Robert Schuman Foundation: Analysis, 02/04/2019: The socialists might come out ahead in the parliamentary elections on 28th April in Spain but will they succeed in retaining office? https://www.robert-schuman.eu/en/eem/1799-the-socialists-might-come-out-ahead-in-the-parliamentary-elections-on-28th-april-in-spain-but-will-they-succeed-in-retaining-office

The Economist, 04/04/2019: In Spain’s election, the emptying countryside matters https://www.economist.com/europe/2019/04/04/in-spains-election-the-emptying-countryside-matters

Euronews, 15/04/2019: Spanish general election 2019: Who are the candidates and what are their manifestos? https://www.euronews.com/2019/04/12/spanish-general-election-2019-who-are-the-candidates-and-what-are-their-manifestos

The Conversation, 17/04/2019: Spain: Catalan question dominates ahead of wildly uncertain election http://theconversation.com/spain-catalan-question-dominates-ahead-of-wildly-uncertain-election-115501

The Economist, 17/04/2019: Reading the runes for Spain’s general election https://www.economist.com/europe/2019/04/20/reading-the-runes-for-spains-general-election

Politico, 18/04/2019: Spain’s conservative revolution https://www.politico.eu/article/spain-conservative-revolution-pablo-casado-right-wing-election-2019/

Politico, 19/04/2019: 10 unusual candidates in Spain’s elections https://www.politico.eu/article/spain-election-2019-10-unusual-candidates/

LSE: EUROPP Blog, 19/04/2019: Spain’s elections: What’s at stake and what’s the likely outcome? https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2019/04/19/spains-elections-whats-at-stake-and-whats-the-likely-outcome/

LSE: EUROPP Blog, 23/04/2019: Spain’s election: How Pedro Sánchez revived the Spanish socialists https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2019/04/23/spains-election-how-pedro-sanchez-revived-the-spanish-socialists/

The Guardian, 23/04/2019: Spain's general election 2019: all you need to know https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/23/spains-general-election-2019-all-you-need-to-know

The Conversation, 24/04/2019: Vox: how to understand the peculiarities of Spain’s hard-right movement https://theconversation.com/vox-how-to-understand-the-peculiarities-of-spains-hard-right-movement-115525

Euro|topics, April 2019: Will the elections bring stability to Spain? https://www.eurotopics.net/en/218779/

Reuters, 25/04/2019: Why Spain's election is so open, and how it may pan out https://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKKCN1S10P0

Euronews, 25/04/2019: Catalonia - the crisis at the heart of Spain's election https://www.euronews.com/2019/04/25/catalonia-the-crisis-at-the-heart-of-spains-election

LSE: EUROPP Blog, 25/04/2019: Do Spain’s minority governments work? https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2019/04/25/do-spains-minority-governments-work/

The Conversation, 25/04/2019: Spanish election: right-wing parties want to restrict abortion and ban feminist groups https://theconversation.com/spanish-election-right-wing-parties-want-to-restrict-abortion-and-ban-feminist-groups-115935

openDemocracy, 25/04/2019: The extreme right international movement gets ready to fight its next battle in Spain https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/democraciaabierta/extreme-right-international-drive-gets-ready-fight-its-next-battle-spain/

Reuters, 25/04/2019: Catalonia: the crisis at the heart of Spain's election https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1S10RM

France24, 25/04/2019: Voters in 'empty Spain' in focus ahead of election https://www.france24.com/en/20190425-voters-empty-spain-focus-ahead-election

LSE: EUROPP Blog, 26/04/2019: The emergence of the populist radical right in Spain demonstrates the conditions under which such parties succeed https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2019/04/26/the-emergence-of-the-populist-radical-right-in-spain-demonstrates-the-conditions-under-which-such-parties-succeed/

ECFR: Commentary, 26/04/2019: Spain’s craziest election ever https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_spain_craziest_election_ever

The Local (Spain), 26/04/2019: All the words you need to know to understand Spain’s general election https://www.thelocal.es/20190426/all-the-words-you-need-to-know-to-understand-spains-general-election

Politico, 26/04/2019: Spain’s big Vox question https://www.politico.eu/article/spain-far-right-big-vox-question/

Bloomberg: Live Blog: Spain General Election https://www.bloomberg.com/news/live-blog/2019-04-11/spain-general-election

Foreign Policy, 27/04/2019: Make Spain Great Again https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/04/27/vox-spain-elections-trump-bannon/

The Guardian, 28/04/2019: How the far right gained a foothold in Spain https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/28/how-the-far-right-finally-gained-a-foothold-in-spain

Deutsche Welle, 29/04/2019: Spain loses its innocence https://p.dw.com/p/3Hb4P

Euro|topics, April 2019: After Spain's election: blockade or dialogue? https://www.eurotopics.net/en/219039/

ECFR: Commentary, 29/04/2019: Spain election: A win for 'No pasarán'? https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_spain_election_a_win_for_no_pasaran

Politico, 29/04/2019: 5 takeaways from Spain’s election https://www.politico.eu/article/spain-election-results-5-takeaways/

openDemocracy, 29/04/2019: #SpanishElections Spain is a beacon of hope for Europe and the world https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/democraciaabierta/spanishelections-spain-beacon-hope-europe-and-world/

Elcano Royal Institute, 29/04/2019: Spain’s socialists beat a divided right but without a clear majority http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/portal/rielcano_en/contenido?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/elcano/elcano_in/zonas_in/commentary-chislett-socialists-won-spains-third-general-election-in-less-than-four-years-but-without-governing-majority

Chatham House: Expert Comment, 30/04/2019: What Do the Spanish Election Results Mean for Europe? https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/what-do-spanish-election-results-mean-europe

Open Europe: Blog, 30/04/2019: Sánchez’s ‘difficult victory’: Europe reacts to Spanish elections https://openeurope.org.uk/today/blog/sanchezs-difficult-victory-europe-reacts-to-spanish-elections/

Robert Schuman Foundation: European Elections Monitor: Results, 30/04/2019: The Socialist Workers' Party led by Pedro Sanchez ahead in Spain is due to stay in office https://www.robert-schuman.eu/en/eem/1807-the-socialist-workers-party-led-by-pedro-sanchez-ahead-in-spain-is-due-to-stay-in-office

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News

El Pais: General Election, 28 April 2019 https://elpais.com/agr/spanish_elections/a

Politico, 08/04/2019: The battle for Spain’s empty center https://www.politico.eu/article/the-battle-for-spains-empty-center/

Deutsche Welle, 19/04/2019: Thousands of Spaniards abroad left in election limbo https://p.dw.com/p/3GrCi

The Guardian, 23/04/2019: Spain election: leaders clash on Catalonia during TV debate https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/23/spain-election-leaders-clash-on-catalonia-during-tv-debate

Politico, 23/04/2019: Spain’s Sánchez faces off against rivals in pre-election debate https://www.politico.eu/article/spain-2019-pedro-sanchez-faces-off-against-rivals-in-pre-election-debate/

EurActiv, 24/04/2019: Electoral uncertainty augurs more political instability in Spain https://www.euractiv.com/section/elections/news/electoral-uncertainty-augurs-more-political-instability-in-spain/

BBC News, 24/04/2019: Spanish election: Socialists battle to stop right-wing surge https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-47937031

The Guardian, 25/04/2019: Facebook takes down far-right groups days before Spanish election https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/25/facebook-takes-down-far-right-groups-days-before-spanish-election

El País, 25/04/2019: EU commissioner Pierre Moscovici: 'We need a pro-European, proactive government in Spain' https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/04/25/inenglish/1556176223_194937.html

The Guardian, 26/04/2019: Anti-bullfighting party set for Spanish election breakthrough https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/26/anti-bullfighting-party-set-for-spanish-election-breakthrough

Politico, 28/04/2019: Spain’s Socialists score big election victory https://www.politico.eu/article/spains-socialists-set-to-win-election-without-majority-poll/

The Local (Spain), 28/04/2019: Spain votes in early election marked by far-right resurgence https://www.thelocal.es/20190428/will-election-day-in-spain-be-marked-by-far-right-resurgence

EurActiv, 29/04/2019: In Spain, Socialists pledge ‘pro-European government’ after election win https://www.euractiv.com/section/all/news/in-spain-socialists-pledge-pro-european-government-after-election-win/

The Guardian, 29/04/2019: Spanish election: socialists win amid far-right gains for Vox party https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/28/spain-election-socialists-to-win-most-seats-far-right-vox-resurgent

BBC News, 29/04/2019: Spain election: Socialists win amid far-right breakthrough https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-48081540

Deutsche Welle, 29/04/2019: Pedro Sanchez's Socialists win election but miss majority https://p.dw.com/p/3HaiE

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Official

Spanish Interior Ministry: Elecciones Generales, 28 abril 2019 https://www.generales2019.infoelecciones.es/

OSCE: ODIHR: Early parliamentary elections in Spain, 28 April 2019 https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/spain/416252

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