May the 22nd elections analysis

The municipal and autonomic elections on May the 22nd have shaken the political map all across the Spanish State.

First of all we have Bildu, an abertzale (left wing basque independentist) party which was allowed in the last minute by the Spanish Constitutional Court in a decision that may have put the Spanish State in a delicate position internationally questioning the democratic foundations of the Spanish State had it been finally banned such as they already did with Sortu.

Bildu’s results have been spectacular being the second most voted party in the Basque Country and together with PNV have pushed the Spanish nationalist parties aside on a prelude to what can potentially happen in the next Basque Autonomous Community elections in a couple of years and leaving politics there a matter between left and right wing Basque nationalists which will make it very difficult for Spain to stop Euskadi’s independence. You can read a detailed analysis on this at Syniadau here and here.

On the same day the Autonomous Community elections in the Valencian Country took place. Valencian politics have been on the spotlight for a while now since members of the government and other elected PP members have several outstanding corruption lawsuits against them, including President Camps. This hasn’t stopped Camps from winning again but its support is diminishing and, for the first time in a long time and against all efforts by the Spanish nationalists, Valencian nationalism has entered the institutions thanks to Coalició Compromís (link in Catalan). Compromís have gained 5 deputies in the Valencian Parliament and 3 town councilors in Valencia’s Town Hall. Their first action (link in Catalan) of refusing to sign their position as town councilors since the forms are not in Catalan constitutes a declaration of principles.

In Catalonia the municipal elections have deepened the downfall of the Catalan branch of the PSOE losing Barcelona (their stronghold since 1979!) and Girona to CiU. The other big loser has been ERC making its worst results in more than a decade and finally having made its executive commitee resign due to this fiasco following the disaster on November’s election and questioning their strategy of alliances with the Spanish nationalist PSOE. It seems that Euro MP Oriol Junqueras (link in Catalan) may be the person in the best position to take the lead of the historical party to make it refloat. Also, Catalan independentist left wing party CUP have made a good job of increasing their representation in the town halls across Catalonia.

The elections have strengthened CiU’s leading position in Catalan politics and their recent decisions of cutting 10% of the Catalan budget to keep the Generalitat’s finances under control.

On the other hand PP have won the municipal elections in Badalona, Catalonia’s third largest city, using a xenophobic discourse and shifting from the Spanish nationalist center right and into the far right instigating social unrest. It is interesting to note that PP are not using these arguments anywhere else in the Spanish State.

Finally, in Spain PSOE has worsened their results overall and it seems that a PP majority is taking shape which may lead to PP’s absolute majority in next year’s Spanish elections.

Picture by Compromís