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MADRID, February 17 (EFE) – Spain’s opposition Popular Party (PP), which has been in power in northwestern Galicia for the past 15 years, faces a tough challenge in winning new responsibilities in Sunday’s local elections. become.
The Conservative Party, led by former Galician president and current PP president Alberto Nuñez Feiju, is expected to narrowly defeat the left-wing Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) in second place and the Socialist Labor Party in third place (PSOE).
The election is expected to test whether the country approves the PSOE government’s amnesty law for Catalan separatists, as well as Feijo’s achievements in the region after three terms in office.
A victory for the PP would mean support for the party’s leader, but a loss would heighten tensions within the party and potentially give the PSOE a trump card against the conservatives nationally.
Approximately 2.7 million voters, more than 475,000 of whom live abroad, many in Latin America, will elect members of Congress, who will appoint a traditionally conservative president.
PP 2009 has ruled since 2009, when Feijo won with an absolute majority, as well as in 2012, 2016 and 2020.
Current PP candidate Alfonso Rueda, who replaced Feijo as party president in 2022, is tasked with reaffirming his majority, amounting to 38 out of 75 seats, but many opinion polls show that there are no other strong candidates. Only narrow victories are predicted against the two contenders, PSOE’s José Ramón Gomez Bestélio and BNG’s Ana Pontón.
A tie between two small left-wing parties, one regional candidate and the far-right box could tip the balance, while the BNG and PSOE could join forces if the PP fails to secure an absolute majority.
Turnout may also be key, given the fact that regional polls in Galicia usually have high abstention rates. Voter turnout in 2016 was 53.6%, and in 2020 it was 58.8%. EFE
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