- In a televised debate ahead of the election, Alberto Feijo, leader of the Partido Popular, indicated that he would form a government with Vox if he needed his votes.
- Members of the conservative party have raised concerns about Vox’s anti-LGBT rights and anti-immigration policies.
- Vox has been criticized by mainstream politicians for opposing abortion rights and denying climate change.
A banner showing an image of PP Party leader Alberto Nuñez Feijoo. Voters in Spain go to the polls on July 23 to elect Spain’s next government.
Pablo Blazquez Dominguez | Getty Images News | Good pictures
Spanish voters are set to vote on Sunday in an election that could bring the far-right to power for the first time since the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.
Polls published ahead of the vote predicted a conservative victory, with the PP (Partido Popular) gaining 34% support – not enough to form a majority government.
Some political analysts expect the PP to ally with the far-right party Vox, which would be the third-largest political force in this election and could win more than 10% of the vote.
“The likely outcome is a coalition government with the PP in the lead and in control of most key ministries, with Vox as the junior partner,” Eurasia Group senior analyst Federico Santi said in a note on Wednesday.
The scenario “has been moderately market-positive as reflected in Spanish asset prices over the past few weeks, moderate performance of Spanish stock indices relative to European peers, while sovereign debt spreads against Germany have remained broadly stable.”
The conservative PP and far-right Vox have previously struck political deals to govern in Spain’s three regional powers and make other deals in smaller cities.
However, their relationship seems more of a forced symbiosis than a natural partnership.
A billboard of the far-right party VOX was vandalized with black paint during the election campaign.
Pablo Blazquez Dominguez | Getty Images News | Good pictures
In a televised debate ahead of the election, PP leader Alberto Feijóo indicated that he would form a government with Vox if they needed their votes. Members of the conservative party have raised concerns about Vox’s anti-LGBT rights and anti-immigration policies.
Vox has been criticized by mainstream politicians for opposing abortion rights and denying climate change.
When debating against current Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez, Feijo said his rival could not lecture other politicians about treaties. Sánchez made deals with separatist parties to secure a parliamentary majority.
The election is less about economics than about cultural issues including nationalism, LGBT rights and climate change, University of Seville economist Tacho Rufino told CNBC’s Charlotte Reid on Thursday.
Sánchez, for his part, has been criticized for condoning politicians who support regional independence. During his tenure, there were issues with the “one yes means yes” sex-consent law, which shortened the time served for many rape offenders through a loophole.
Sunday’s vote could be affected by climate change as it is the first election of the summer season. Spain is one of the southern European countries that has faced a significant heat wave in recent days.