View from Madrid: A polarised election context

Author:
Francisco de Borja Lasheras

The reactions of Spanish officials and political leaders to the Brexit vote converge around three main messages. These are: the need to maintain political stability, reassurance for Spanish residents in the UK (a quarter of a million of them, according to some sources), as well as support for the political integration project – especially from the pro-EU mainstream parties – reflecting a shared consensus on the need to avoid a domino effect.

The referendum overlapped with the final stretch of a polarised electoral contest in Spain. Brexit, its economic impact, and general uncertainty over the future of the EU entered the electoral fray, with the spotlight having turned on the leftist Podemos, due to its pro-sovereignty stances. There is some speculation on the impact the Brexit vote had on election results that, with a lower turnout than before, essentially saw the ruling conservative Popular Party of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy winning again, and the PSOE withstanding the challenge of a Podemos-led leftist coalition. PP clearly seems to have benefitted from fears of political and economic instability in Spain and a struggling EU, and many Podemos voters have turned their backs on them. But it is far-fetched at this stage to see Brexit as a game changer in these elections.

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