Spanish elections: Voters face a sharp left-right divide in summer polls

[ad_1]

As always in Spanish politics, the issue of national unity and regional autonomy loomed large over this election.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been criticized by right-wing parties for relying on parliamentary support from Catalan nationalists, who attempted to unilaterally secede from Spain in 2017.

He also received support from Basque nationalists, associated in the minds of many voters with the decades-old terrorist campaign waged by ETA, the movement’s military wing, against the Spanish state.

The economy is also a major issue, as – despite better growth and lower inflation than some of its neighbours – unemployment is higher in Spain than anywhere else in the EU.

The conservative Popular Party and far-right Vox have sought to make issues around Hispanic identity a central campaign theme, with the latter promoting an anti-immigration message.

Both major parties on the right have been highly critical of the government’s reforms to LGBT issues, while a controversial law on sexual consent emerged throughout the campaign.

[ad_2]