Spanish General Elections

[marklaspalmas]

It's ended in a right pickle.

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35156519

 

Almost impossible to see any half-decent pact/coalition emerging from this four way split. The only solution I see is another election again soon.

 

The Spanish electorate was determined to break (or at least protest against) the (more or less) biparty system that has ruled since Franco. They've done that, and are now finding out how unworkable it can be. Welcome to the worst of Italian style politics.

[WearyRhino]

It's ended in a right pickle.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35156519

Almost impossible to see any half-decent pact/coalition emerging from this four way split. The only solution I see is another election again soon.

The Spanish electorate was determined to break (or at least protest against) the (more or less) biparty system that has ruled since Franco. They've done that, and are now finding out how unworkable it can be. Welcome to the worst of Italian style politics.

Welcome to proportional representation. Now nobody gets a government they voted for.

[John Drake]

Welcome to proportional representation. Now nobody gets a government they voted for.

 

What system would you prefer?

 

Surely not the one we have, given the ridiculous outcome of the last General Election (and all the ones that preceded it too, under FPTP).

[marklaspalmas]

Welcome to proportional representation. Now nobody gets a government they voted for.

 

Not really 'welcome to' in that Spain has had the same electoral system for 40 years, a modified PR system organised by regions.

 

What's changed here is the emergence of two major 'protest' parties who have garnered a lot of votes from the big two.

 

But yes, it will be difficult to form a government with these results.

[Lounge Room Lizard]

Politics is a real mess thanks mainly to the arrogance of the established parties and the failure to understand the people and what they want. The problem we have now is that often we have often a couple of parties trying to run things and often seem to be to busy fighting each other and ignoring the wishes of the people. This creates further problems and we now are in a situation where there is no real stability in a number of Nations and I cant see it changing. 

[marklaspalmas]

Politics is a real mess thanks mainly to the arrogance of the established parties and the failure to understand the people and what they want. The problem we have now is that often we have often a couple of parties trying to run things and often seem to be to busy fighting each other and ignoring the wishes of the people.

 

That's certainly the story in Spain. The PP (tories) and PSOE (labour) would normally get up to 300 of the 350 seats between them. This year they've got 120 and 90, with the two new parties picking up 70 and 40 each (rough numbers). Short term it creates a bit of instability, people genuinely have no idea who will pact with who and how. Medium/long term maybe it's no bad thing that every single person in politics bucks their damn ideas up.

[bowes]

My guess is PSOE/Podemos will go into government with the separatist parties but it would require massive concessions (probably independence referenda, which Podemos back anyway)

[marklaspalmas]

My guess is PSOE/Podemos will go into government with the separatist parties but it would require massive concessions (probably independence referenda, which Podemos back anyway)

 

Looks impossible. It's been thought about, but Im not sure the numbers add up even then. I just dont know how/why folk like Esquerra Republicana and PNV will come to the table and behave properly.

[bowes]

Looks impossible. It's been thought about, but Im not sure the numbers add up even then. I just dont know how/why folk like Esquerra Republicana and PNV will come to the table and behave properly.

The numbers add up but yeah would require everyone on side

[marklaspalmas]

Bizarrely enough, maybe the big two are looking to go into coalition.

 

This would surely be an interim move before calling a new election..... 

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35167783