Elections in Aragon: turnout remains at 40.93%, similar to that of 2023

MadridAragonese voters are casting their ballots for the first time in early elections, and so far, turnout remains similar to the previous election, even though municipal elections were also held three years ago. By 2 p.m., after half a day of voting, 40.93% of eligible voters had cast their ballots, a figure very similar to the 40.91% turnout in 2023. Turnout had decreased slightly in Teruel and Huesca, while it had increased in Zaragoza. As for postal voting, there has been a drop in the number of voters opting for this method: up to 37% fewer than in the 2023 elections.

This February 8th, 1,036,325 Aragonese citizens are called to vote to elect 67 regional deputies. An absolute majority requires 34 deputies. Currently, the People's Party (PP) holds 28 seats and came to power thanks to the support of Vox's 7 deputies, but as in other regions, the far-right party also broke the alliance due to policy differences, leaving the region without a budget. Until now, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) held 23 seats, and the left wing of the Socialists is fragmented: unlike in Extremadura, where they ran as a united front, in Aragon the candidacies of Sumar-IU (1), Podemos, and the Aragonese Union (3) are running separately. The Aragonese Regionalist Party (PAR) (1) and Teruel Existe (3) will test the strength of regionalism. The forecasts for tonight's election point to a victory for Jorge Azcón's PP, which has governed until now, but without freeing itself from Vox's influence. Polls so far have shown a surge for the far right – Santiago Abascal has thrown himself into the election campaign – and, as happened in Extremadura, the Popular Party is forced to reach an agreement. On the other hand, the polls also predict a major setback for the PSOE candidate, Pilar Alegría. The former spokesperson for the Spanish government could deliver one of the worst results for the Socialists in this region, with no chance of forming a coalition with the left. Podemos and Sumar-IU even risk losing seats.

State Reading

Although these are regional elections in Aragon, the vote has national implications. First, because it forms part of an electoral cycle that began in Extremadura and will continue with Castile and León (March 15) and then Andalusia, and which will test the strength of the People's Party (PP) against Vox. The outcome of all these elections and the PP's dependence on the far right will be seen as a prelude to what might happen if there were national elections. Furthermore, the elections also serve as a barometer for the regional health of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). In fact, the series of elections in these autonomous communities was orchestrated by the PP—which governs in all of them—to highlight the lack of support for the Socialists. The PSOE already suffered its first defeat in Extremadura, although with a candidate, Miguel Ángel Gallardo, who was not part of the Sánchez faction, and now in Aragon, the outlook appears to be no different. With one key difference: Pilar Alegría is indeed the Spanish president's candidate—until recently she was the spokesperson for the Moncloa Palace—and is part of Sánchez's strategy of placing ministers to head lists in the autonomous communities. Next in line is the First Vice President and Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, in Andalusia.