UPDATES WITH 76% COUNTED VOTES, CHANGES DECK, LEDE, EDITS THROUGHOUT
By Alyssa McMurtry
OVIEDO, Spain (AA) – With nearly 76% of votes counted, the Socialist Party led by Spain’s incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is set to win the national elections in Spain.
With an estimated 123 seats, the left-wing party seems to nearly double that of the Popular Party, which won elections in 2015 and 2016.
However, the early results indicate that the Spanish Parliament will remain fragmented.
176 seats are needed to gain a majority in the Spanish Parliament. A left-wing coalition seems like an increasing possibility, but joining the far-left Unidas Podemos will still fall short for a majority.
It appears that the left-wing bloc will need to join forces or win support from separatist parties to form a government.
The ultranationalist Vox party has also become the first far-right party to gain significant political representation in Spain’s Parliament since the death of Spain’s fascist dictator Fransisco Franco. Results suggest it will gain 24 seats.
This is Spain’s 3rd national elections in four years. The political fragmentation in the country, which had been dominated by two parties prior to 2015, has led to political instability.
Spanish newspaper El Pais is reporting that voter turnout reached 75.4% – the highest level since 2004.
