CORRECTION-SPAIN-ELECTION/VOTE ANALYSIS Madrid residents hopeful for change after Socialist win in Andalusia

Record ID: 328829

  • Title: CORRECTION-SPAIN-ELECTION/VOTE ANALYSIS Madrid residents hopeful for change after Socialist win in Andalusia
  • Date: 23rd March 2015
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF JOB SEEKERS QUEUING OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT OFFICE VARIOUS OF JOB SEEKERS ENTERING EMPLOYMENT OFFICE
  • Embargoed: 7th April 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA410T7TS3SOOFTE3D1R1P4210E
  • Story Text: Madrid residents reacted on Monday (March 23) to Sunday's election results in the Spanish region of Andalusia, where leftist newcomers Podemos gathered steam ahead of the general elections due before the year-end.
    The People's Party (PP) and the Socialists, who have dominated power nationally for decades, have seen plummeting support in national opinion polls following a deep economic and political crisis.
    Podemos, only a year old, took 15 seats Sunday while Spain's other political newcomer, Ciudadanos, on the centre-right of the spectrum, grabbed nine seats.
    Although the Socialists won the election with 47 seats out of 109 in the regional parliament, this apparent shift to the left is seen by many Spaniards as a punishment for austerity policies and corruption detected in traditional parties.
    Jose Surera said the competence between new and traditional parties was good for citizens.
    "I think it is good that Ciudadanos and Podemos have risen because competence is always good. I see the People's Party and the Socialists making a harder effort to do things well and the new parties trying to gain ground. It is going to be interesting," he said.
    Podemos (translated directly as "We can"), led by the charismatic, pony-tailed Pablo Iglesias, unexpectedly won five seats in last May's European elections and has mainly gathered votes on the left of the spectrum.
    Ciudadanos (Citizens) has taken a more market-friendly stance and is seen by many analysts as a potential kingmaker in the national parliament later this year.
    Madrid resident Nacho Romay believes the Andalusia elections mark the beginning of a political change in Spain.
    "It is a clear symptom that things are moving. Some parties have had just one month of campaign, like Ciudadanos, and they made a strong entrance. From now until the general elections things are going to keep changing and I think this is a symptom that things are starting to change. I don't expect the same result in the general elections but we will see how far this tendency goes," he said.
    The two upstarts have capitalised on discontent with the older parties, which are seen as holding back change to protect vested interests.
    With Spain's regional elections looming and their fresh defeat in Andalusia, political analyst Jose Murado believes the future of the ruling People's Party looks bleak.
    "The fact that those votes are not going to abstention but are actually going to other parties is even more worrying for the People's Party. We have to see, we have a local election in the whole of Spain very soon in May. Then we will have a much better picture of what is going to happen. But if things don't change I think the future of the People's Party looks quite bleak now," Murado said.
    The newcomers' campaigns have focused on corruption within the Socialist party and the PP, and have also attacked the ineffectiveness of the established parties in dealing with rising poverty and inequality.
    Years of austerity have eroded the confidence of voters in traditional parties, which was reflected in their defeat in the Andalusia elections.
    It is yet to be seen if Podemos' momentum will keep growing through the general elections. Cofounder of Podemos, Carolina Bescansa, said Monday that the party still has work to do.
    "It is true that it is a great result progressing from 0 seats to 15. Although it is an important step towards change, it's not enough," she said.
    As the economy recovers, growth has done little to whittle down unemployment amidst rising poverty and inequality.
    An official poll carried at the end of 2014 showed that one in four people who voted for the Socialists in the 2011 general election would today cast their ballot for Podemos.
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