Poll Results, Nobody Got a Clear Majority & more –27th July 2023

Buenos días from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Spain Update from the 27th of July twenty twenty-three A quick summary of what's going down in Spain.

Spanish politics face an uncertain future after a snap General Election on Sunday, the 23rd gave no clear majority for any party.

As we’ve been diligently covering, the leader of the Socialist Party or PSOE, Pedro Sanchez, called for the snap General election after a defeat in local elections in May.

Polls predicted that Alberto Nuñez Feijoo, the leader of the People's Popular Party or PP, was set to win. However, despite winning more seats than any other party, the PP didn't gain a clear majority - causing a bit of political limbo until party coalitions, voting alliances, or possible re-elections are announced.

Though Sanchez didn't win a clear majority either, he managed to get PSOE enough votes to block the PP, gaining two more seats than his party in twenty nineteen but still preventing him from gaining the majority.

On Monday, the 24th, the PP requested to be allowed to form a minority government, meaning they will need to seek support from other parties to govern effectively. However, none of the likely alliances led by either the PP or PSOE have the 176 seats to give either party a majority.

Overall, the big looser was VOX which did substantially worse than the last election. So PP can’t get a majority with them. They tried with a Basque party, who said no way will they go in with VOX. PSOE could get a slim majority with every other regional or left leaning party, but it will be tough to assemble, require every single one, and be a slim majority. But overall Sanchez did lots better than people expected after the beating PSOE took in the local elections. So he may stick around and is now looking at handing out a whole lot of jobs and ministries to see where it might get them. Otherwise, more elections soon.

The full result of the elections is still pending, however, as votes from Spaniards residing abroad are still awaiting validation. Around 2 million people account for this vote. Still, Correos wasn't ready for this and many didn't receive the postal vote on time. Though the abstention of these voters is usually quite high, in general, This Election had a higher turnout than elections in twenty nineteen, so the trend could continue for oversea votes.

Speaking of votes, how did each region or autonomous community vote in the seven largest cities in Spain?

In the capital, Madrid, the PP revalidated its position with almost 60% of votes in the neighborhoods of Chamartín and Salamanca, the posh neighborhood. The new Sumar party, led by Yolanda Diaz, also did pretty well by gaining 29% of the votes in the center neighborhood.

Moving to the Catalan capital, Barcelona, the Catalan Socialist Party, El Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya or PSC, won more than any others with over 33% of votes in all of the districts apart from Sarrià-Sant Gervasi - where right-leaning parties historically do better and did again this year. The Sumar coalition also did well in Barcelona, achieving around 16% of votes. The PP limped in third - gaining just over 15%.

Moving to the south, Sevilla was overwhelmingly blue with PP votes. In the city center, Casco Antiguo, gained over 40%.

Want to see the full results from each region, community, or city? Link to the source in Spanish in the show notes.

Holding Summer elections is unusual in Spain because bureaucratic offices close in July and August.

So, when Sanchez announced an early election, vacation plans were changed. Requests for postal voting also doubled compared to the last General election in April twenty nineteen, and unsurprisingly, quite a few Spaniards requested to be excused from mandatory electoral duties.

Recall there are fines and even prison sentences if someone fails to turn up for duty or abandons them without a legitimate cause.

El Pais collected Spaniards' most unusual excuses for past elections - let's take a look!

A person was forced to pay one thousand eight hundred euros in twenty twenty-one after telling a Madrid Court that she didn't receive the notice because she no longer lived with her parents. Unfortunately, her mum, a witness, told the Court that if she received a letter addressed to her daughter, she would send a photo via Whatsapp.

One defendant argued he couldn't turn up for duty in Asturias back in twenty nineteen because he had "broken his index finger and was in immense pain." He did provide medical justification. However, it was rejected by the electoral board because it didn't say his finger was as bad as he made out - despite this, he didn't turn up to duty and was fined 900 euros.

What do you think about mandatory electoral duties? Are there any mandatory duties for citizens in your home country? Let us know.

While awaiting election votes, the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed Health (or RASFF) issued a health alert this week.

Reports by the RASFF have detected mid-levels of methomyl in a batch of Moroccan watermelons. According to the report, the popular summer fruit contains traces of the unauthorized pesticide - exceeding European limits.

This incident is serious, considering indigestion of the chemical can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, tremors, and blurred vision.

Currently, authorities are still determining whether more affected watermelons have been distributed and where.

Also waiting for some clarity this week are huge energy companies Iberdrola, Repsol, and Portuguese electric utilities company EDP.

Both energy giants have various renewable hydrogen-related projects tied up in European funding, but the Government has gone on vacation, meaning there are no Council of Minister meetings planned until the 22nd of August. So, they will just have to wait for the government to tell them how much funding they will get and when.

Next up, residency! According to Schengen Visa News, foreigners with a temporary Spanish residency permit, an NIE or TIE, will have laxer rules when leaving the country.

Currently, TIE or NIE holders will no longer have their permit revoked if they spend more than six months outside Spanish territory. As of the 20th of June, foreigners with these permits can travel abroad for more than six months within a year without worrying about their residency status when they return.

However, if, after five years, they want to upgrade to a permanent resident application, the rules remain the same. You must have stayed in the country continuously, so over the five years, your time outside the territory must not exceed ten months.

Speaking of residency, Iranian chess player Sara Khadem and her family have been granted Spanish residency this week through the Golden Visa Scheme.

Khadem, an award-winning chess grandmaster, participated in a World Cup event in Kazakhstan in twenty twenty-two without wearing a headscarf because she was supporting the movement that erupted in Iran following the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini.

However, because she publicly defied Hijab laws while representing Iran at an international event, Khadems relatives warned her not to return. So, she traveled to Spain with her husband and son, where they have now been granted permanent nationality status.

Moving on, if you find yourself in Spain this Summer, there are tons of fiestas or ferias to visit. In Malaga, the annual Feria is between the 12th to 19th of August. It's set like a fairground, with booths, rides, and music. The Feria literally kicks off with a bang, with a huge firework display in the Paseo del Parque. It's a week-long party of the traditional Andalusian dance 'Sevillanas' and a traditional sweet wine drunk cold called "Cartojal."

Moving to Barcelona, Gracia, a district that used to be a separate village from Barcelona, holds its annual festival, "Festa Major de Gràcia," in Catalan. Here you can explore the small streets, all colorfully decorated by the neighbors, with street decor called "engalaments." It's happening between the 15th and 21st of August. Our top tip is to avoid crowds and go in the morning unless you like the hustle and bustle because the streets are narrow and busy.

Pack some bug spray, though, especially in the South, as the population of mosquitos that can transmit the West Nile Virus has apparently grown in Campillos, Malaga, Montalban in Cordoba, and Villamanrique de la Condesa, Sevilla.

Still, according to The WHO, the risk of contracting the disease is still fairly low, and it has a one in 150 chance of being serious should someone get infected.

And to close this edition— learning the lingo! If you want to practice or improve your Spanish, can we suggest a few shows to get you started? Cable Girls or Las Chicas del Cable, set in nineteen twenties’ Madrid, is a great start, or for a nineteen fifties’ soiree, check out Velvet or Galerías Velvet, a love story set at a fashion house.

Aaaaand that’s it for this week! Thanks for joining us!

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¡Hasta la próxima!