The far right, the big winner of the elections in Extremadura
The president of Extremadura, María Guardiola, decided to call early regional elections in response to the blockade imposed by Vox. It was a risky gamble, a coin toss, and it backfired. The PP only managed to gain one more seat, bringing their total to 28, far short of the five needed for an absolute majority. This occurred against a backdrop of total collapse for the PSOE, which lost 10 seats, dropping from 28 to 18. Meanwhile, the far right emerged strongest from these elections, gaining 6 seats and increasing its representation from 5 to 11. The left-wing coalition, Unidas por Extremadura, also saw significant gains.
The overall map shows that, in line with the global reactionary wave, the right wing as a whole has considerably increased its hegemony in a region that had historically been a PSOE stronghold. However, there is no indication that the coexistence between Guardiola's PP and Vox will be peaceful. The PP is undoubtedly the majority party in Extremadura, but the dream of having a free hand to govern is fading. And this is also bad news for Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who, since the general elections, set himself the goal of minimizing the strength of the far right, and what has happened is exactly the opposite.
In the case of Extremadura, there's an added problem. Guardiola has become a sort of priority target for Vox, since the Extremaduran president has a moderate profile, in the style of Moreno Bonilla, and has repeatedly stated that she doesn't want to govern with the far right. It remains to be seen what tone Guardiola will adopt now, and also to what extent Santiago Abascal will use his group to send a message to Feijóo. Vox not only has regained control in Extremadura, but it does so with even greater strength, as it's the party that has grown the most.
On the left, the PSOE's debacle is historic and also sends a very clear message to the Moncloa Palace that the wear and tear caused by the government's paralysis and the scandals of recent months is taking its toll. In Extremadura, something that has been happening for some time is evident: the Socialists only have Pedro Sánchez as an electoral asset and, with the exception of Salvador Illa, have been left without any regional leaders. In this case, moreover, presenting a candidate, Miguel Ángel Gallardo, who is awaiting trial in the case involving the Spanish president's brother, has been an incomprehensible choice.
As a final thought, it is worth noting that Vox's spectacular growth is occurring in a region with very little immigration—only 4.4% of the population is foreign-born—and where public sector employment approaches 25%. This means that in current politics, reality doesn't matter as much as the perception of reality, and this is where the far right excels at presenting catastrophic scenarios and disseminating hate speech through social media. This is the main lesson for future elections.
