Spain Elections: Conservatives win without majority; hung parliament awaits

The conservative People’s Party (PP) has won the snap elections in Spain after almost 99% of votes were counted, but no party or bloc is on course to secure an outright majority to form a government, according to Spanish media outlets.

The PP has won 136 out of the 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies, which is the lower house of the Spanish legislative branch.

Current Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s ruling Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) had won 122 seats, which is higher than what the polls predicted.

On the far end of the spectrum, the far-left Sumar party had 31 seats, while the far-right Vox party had won 33 seats.

With no parties or bloc clearing a majority, a hung parliament looms for Spain, with Al Jazeera reporting that the country ‘once again, finds itself in political limbo’.

Negotiations to form the new government in Spain will start between the various blocs after the new Parliament congregates on August 17.

Despite election loss, Social Party celebrate Spain election results

While no clear victors emerged from the elections, the ruling Social Workers’ Party were in a celebratory mood, as the combined seats of PSOE and its allies will be slightly more than the PP and its far-right allies.

Prime Minister Sanchez said that the election’s result was a defeat for the conservatives, who were expected to run away with a comfortable victory.

“Spain and all its citizens who voted have been absolutely clear. The backwards-looking bloc that wanted to roll back all the progress we made over the past four years has failed. There are many more of us who want Spain to continue advancing,” Sanchez told his supporters outside the party’s headquarters in Madrid.

However, the PP and its leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo also declared the results to be a positive one for the conservative bloc, tweeting, “The People’s Party has won the general elections. Thanks to the more than 8 million Spaniards who have given us their support. I want to form a government and I am going to start a dialogue with the rest of the parties. I ask for responsibility so that Spain does not suffer blockades.”