Spain’s European election will be more Spanish than ever

Domestic issues are dominating Spain’s EU election campaign. They include corruption scandals, the perennial Catalan question and a related controversy over amnesty for separatists. A success for the right could shake the government of Socialist prime minister Pedro Sánchez.

Published on 25 April 2024 at 12:15

Andrés Gil - Eldiario.es (Madrid)
Translated by Voxeurop

©Madeleina Kay

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Political amnesties; Catalonia; corruption; and the sustainability of Pedro Sánchez's national government. Spain's European elections on 9 June are looking decidedly un-European. The vote will come after early regional elections in the Basque Country (21 April), and in Catalonia (12 May) following the failure of the national government to present a budget plan for 2024. The results in both regions could have a destabilising domino effect on the government's precarious legislative majority.

This is particularly true in Catalonia, whose separatist ERC party (EFA/Greens in the European Parliament) and Junts (the party of former regional president Carles Puigdemont; sits independently) currently support Sánchez's national government. The election outcome could test their will to continue that support.

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Spain's European Parliament election will thus be fought more over Spanish issues than over the EU's priorities for the next five years, such as enlargement, migration, the green and digital transitions, and European autonomy in geopolitics and defence.

One exception is the farming question, where both the far-right Vox (ECR in the European Parliament) and the traditional conservative Partido Popular (PP-EPP) are pitting the rural protests against Europe's green agenda. Another is migration, where the right is pushing for an iron-fist policy in contrast to the national government of PSOE (S&D). That government is currently in coalition with a progressive umbrella group called Sumar (led by vice-PM Yolanda Diaz, sits with The Left/Greens) and the populist progressive Podemos (The Left). The latter, following its recent divorce from Sumar, will campaign with its own candidate, Irene Montero.

Montero, until recently Minister for Equality, will try to take advantage of the left lane opened to her by the coalition government. This will imply a tough stance against the hardline border policies embodied by EU High representative for foreign-affairs chief Josep Borrell (PSOE/S&D).

Indeed, both…