Reuters. The leader of the far-right Vox party addressed party supporters as Spain headed for a hung parliament, with neither left nor right likely to secure a majority in the Sunday election, paving the way for drawn-out and potentially fruitless negotiations to form a government.
Vox party leader Santiago Abascal addressed the crowd sarcastically commenting on the celebrations being held both at the Socialist Party and Conservative People's Party headquarters which both saw the results as an opportunity to govern. He also lamented his party's results and the failure to remove Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez from office.
With 99% of votes counted by 11:45 p.m. (2145 GMT), the opposition People's Party (PP) had 136 seats while Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's ruling Socialists (PSOE) had 122 seats. Parties with the greatest potential to be kingmakers were nearly even with far-right Vox on 33 and far-left Sumar on 31 seats.
The vote coincided with what would be many Spaniards' summer holidays and one of the hottest months in the sunbaked nation. Voters showed up in swimsuits and used ballots as fans while polling stations brought in air conditioners or moved voting tables outside.
Joyful Spanish socialists celebrated on Sunday (July 23) after Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez claimed victory for the left in parliamentary election despite the result showing a hung parliament and the conservative People's Party (PP) winning the most seats.
The leader of Spain's conservative People's Party, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, said his party had won Sunday's (July 23) parliamentary election and said his top priority was to open negotiations with all parties to govern the country.
Waving Spain’s red and yellow flag and shouting slogans, joyful supporters of Feijoo’s People’s Party (PP) flooded a Madrid street to celebrate the outcome of the national election but their country’s political future hangs in the balance.
