PP set to retain Andalusia majority

Juanma Moreno’s Popular Party won Andalusia’s regional election on May 17 but fell short of an outright majority, according to near-final results published by Spanish broadcasters and election trackers. The PP took 53 seats in the 109-member parliament, two short of the 55 needed to govern alone. The PSOE, led in the region by María Jesús Montero, fell to 28 seats, while Vox won 15 and emerged as the likely decisive partner in any investiture. RTVE and ABC both reported that more than 99.7% of ballots had been counted by late Sunday night. ### How far short was Moreno of governing alone? The number that defined the night was 53. ABC’s results page showed the PP on 41.60% of the vote and 53 seats, down five from 2022 and two short of an absolute majority. PSOE won 22.71% and 28 seats, Vox 13.82% and 15 seats, Adelante Andalucía eight, and Por Andalucía five. Participation reached 64.84%, up 8.71 points from 2022, according to the same count. (rtve.es) RTVE said the outcome left the PP dependent on Vox despite finishing first. The public broadcaster reported that Moreno acknowledged the gap between the result and his party’s goal, saying: “Aspirábamos a la matrícula de honor, pero hemos sacado sobresaliente,” or that they had aimed for top marks but earned a very good grade instead. (abc.es) ### Why was the PSOE result so damaging? María Jesús Montero’s PSOE dropped to 28 seats, losing two from the previous election, according to RTVE and Euronews. Euronews described the result as a historic loss for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s party in a region long treated as a Socialist stronghold. (rtve.es) Andalusia governed under Socialist leadership for almost four decades before the PP took power in 2019, Euronews said. Montero, a former deputy prime minister and finance minister, had been one of the highest-profile figures in the race, tying the regional contest more closely to national politics than most Andalusian elections. (rtve.es) ### What role does Vox now have? Vox’s 15 seats made the party the clearest route to a PP-led government. RTVE said Vox leader in Andalusia Manuel Gavira celebrated the leverage the result gave his party and urged the PP to listen to voters who, in his words, wanted “prioridad nacional.” (euronews.com) Euronews said the PP has already governed with Vox in Extremadura, Aragon and Castile and Leon. That record gives both parties a model for negotiations, even if Moreno had campaigned on the value of stable one-party rule in Andalusia. ### Why does this election matter beyond Seville? (rtve.es) Andalusia’s size gives the result national weight. Euronews described the region, with about 9 million residents, as Spain’s most populous autonomous community and said the vote was being watched as a political barometer before the next general election expected in 2027. (euronews.com) The powers at stake are also concrete. Euronews noted that Spain’s regions control major areas including healthcare, education and housing, which means the composition of the next Andalusian government will shape spending and policy decisions well beyond coalition arithmetic. (euronews.com) ### What happens next in the Andalusian parliament? Seville is now the center of the next step. With 53 PP seats and 15 for Vox, the arithmetic points to negotiations over support for Moreno’s investiture unless another arrangement emerges. RTVE said Sunday night that the PP had won without a majority and would depend on Vox. (euronews.com) In the coming days, party leaders including Moreno, Montero and Gavira are expected to set out their terms publicly as the new parliament prepares to convene. The investiture timetable will determine whether Moreno returns as regional president with outside support or a broader agreement from Vox. (rtve.es)