Elections in Spain | Spain: Fascism ante portas

Candidate presentation in Madrid on October 17th: The Frente Amplio is running broadly in the parliamentary elections, but the desired inclusion of Podemos fails. Photo: IMAGO/Europa Press Spain is more threatened than ever by a right-wing ultra-right government - for the first time since the end of the Franco dictatorship in 1975. It is not clear whether a common left-wing list of the PSOE Social Democrats would have made a decisive difference in the elections on November 29th in order to prevent the absolute majority between the right-wing People's Party PP and the ultra-right Vox that was emerging in the polls. What is certain is that the competitive running of Podemos and the Frente Amplio will cost seats. In Spain, the D'Hondt maximum payment method, which was practiced in the Federal Republic of Germany until 1983, is still used. It puts small parties at a disadvantage, especially in small constituencies where only a few seats are awarded.

Spain's left was only able to find the courage to overcome existing differences in the Canary Islands and the Valencia region. This is a bitter realization in view of the impending shift to the right, which the left in Spain is openly describing as the rise of fascism.

In 2023, Podemos, the left-wing party that emerged from the outraged movement, joined the Sumar party alliance, was then part of the center-left government of Pedro Sánchez - although without a ministerial post - and said goodbye to the minority government in December 2023, which became even weaker as a result.

The fact that Podemos apparently claimed first place on the list for the constituency in Madrid borders on overestimation. After all, the Podemos spinoff Más Madrid is now the left-wing top dog in the city and region, while Podemos no longer even sits on the Madrid city council.

There are now 15 different parties in the Frente Amplio, Podemos will be missing. In her campaign opening speech, top candidate Ada Colau made a historic borrowing from Spain's first ever female minister, Federica Montseny, an anarchist who wanted to abolish the state, but was temporarily called upon to serve as health minister during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). For Montseny it was clear what Colau was now emphasizing: “Governments can change one thing or another, they cannot work miracles. The decisive factor for change is organized civil society. After the elections on November 29th, they will be more important than ever - whatever the result.

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