The established Spanish parties have problems to mobilize voters in the country. All the regions feel neglected. The votes of the country’s population could be on Sunday tip the scales.
Raquel Clemente has decided for the people in the rural areas of Spain. The 36-Year-old has spent nearly her entire life in the small village of Celadas in the Eastern province of Teruel. Now for the conservative people’s party, PP for a choice to be on Sunday the member of Parliament for your province.
“I live here, really,” says Clemente, “and it would make me very happy to represent Teruel in the Parliament.” 300 inhabitants of your village, there is a bakery that is only open one hour a day, and a Bar. Clemente says of the village community: “We are like a big family. Any good news is celebrated by everyone here, even if it relates at all to all of us.”
The “blank Spain”
The village of Celadas is part of the so-called “empty in Spain”. Thus, large parts of the sparsely populated rural areas. According to government sources, the population density in nearly half of all Spanish municipalities with less than 12.5 inhabitants per square kilometre. The ranks the European Union as a low density with depopulation risk.
For the Spanish it is the third parliamentary election in three and a half years. Only in June 2018, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had come to the office. In the beginning of 2019, the minority government of his Socialist workers ‘ party PSOE failed to get its draft budget from the Parliament’s blessing, so he scheduled elections.
Against the flight from the land: 50,000 to 100,000 people from the affected regions at the end of March demonstrated in Madrid
In Parliament, the “blank Spain” 101 of 350 deputies. For the first Time, the two incumbent parties – the conservative PP and the socialist PSOE could lose a significant part of these mandates to smaller parties, says Pablo Simón, a political scientist at the University of Carlos III in Madrid.
Every percentage point counts
Simón explains to Deutsche Welle, such as the distribution of seats in provinces such as Teruel, with only three mandates, the works. The winning party has to unite as many votes as the party in third place to win two of the three seats – then the third-placed is empty. The distance between the two is less, so the three parties with the most votes per one seat.
The probability of the latter scenario is increased according to the political scientist, given the rise of smaller parties such as the left Unidas Podemos, the radical right-wing Vox and the liberal Ciudadanos.
To form a stable government, will for the traditional parties much more complicated, even if you should get the most votes, adds Simón. “It looks as if the long-existing two-party system comes to an end.”
Conviction work
The long-established parties try to defy the predictions. Raquel Clemente visited the nearby village of Cuevas Labradas and its 130 inhabitants. The local PP government was able to convince recently, someone to operate the only Shop and the only Bar in the place – by no rent is required. For three years the village had no food business.
Raquel Clemente (l.) in the province of Teruel, at number two in the list of the people’s party PP
Clemente distributed a Flyer bearing the likeness of the PP candidate for the Premiership, Pablo Casado. You told the people at the tables, how your party wants to improve the infrastructure, farmers provide financial support, and rural areas with faster Internet wants to provide connections.
María Jesús Garfella, one of the residents, it seems from the plans of the party convinced: “What you say sounds very interesting. Now you have to implement the measures.” Miguel Angel Fortea at the next table sees it differently: “Our province is totally isolated. We have no proper infrastructure. Our trains are falling apart and are pretty slow.” He was not sure whether he was going at all. “I no longer trust the political class. They promise the blue from the sky, but the day after the election they forget about us again.”
Only a month before the parliamentary elections, the Council of Ministers of the socialist government adopted a catalogue of 70 measures, with which the depopulation of rural areas is counteracted. Critics accused the government promptly, to allow only voice.
Albarracin attracts tourists from all over the world, but in the surrounding villages to fight, literally, with the extinction of
About 40 kilometers from the village of Cuevas Labradas removed the mayor of the village of Mezquita de Jarque, Herminio, Sancho, through the rooms of the new kindergarten. Toys on the floor, on the walls, colorful pictures that are pinned. Sancho, who is also the top candidate of the PSOE for the Region, says he has lived here his whole life and know the life in the country. “The voters should trust us that we will defend their interests,” said the appeal.
“Our party has done much for the rural areas,” says Sancho. “We have also purchased a new Van to drive the older children to the schools in the area.” Currently, they are working to get a new factory for the processing of ham down to the village. “That would create 25 jobs for a community with 100 inhabitants, is remarkable,” said the mayor.
Mayor Herminio Sancho is with his work for his village happy
Smaller parties, however, use the balance-sheet of the PP and PSOE against you. As Maru Díaz from the left-wing Unidas Podemos. They also distributed information sheets, however, in the homonymous provincial capital of Teruel.
New Parties = A New Beginning?
With their colorful dress and dark red lipstick, the 28, promises to bring Years of fresh Wind in politics – and a new beginning. “The traditional parties have ruled Spain for 40 years and are responsible for ensuring that it is empty of persons was in the country,” says Díaz. “People should have the courage to vote for our innovative program. This will bring back the people to the country.” It promises the construction of new roads and train lines, and more employment opportunities for women.
Another small party that could play in the “empty Spain” a major role, is the right-wing Vox. Five years ago, was founded on you can win in December in the election in Andalucia seats in a regional Parliament. From go say by at least ten percent for Vox on Sunday.
Ham from Teruel – whether the Effort gives votes to a factory of the PSOE in the Region?
Most of these votes are probably coming from the country, believes José Fernandez-Albertos, a political scientist at Madrid’s Institute of Public Goods and Policies, which is part of a public research institution. “The people in the ’empty’ Spain ‘ are more likely to be older and more conservative. Therefore, it is more likely that they vote for the Vox.” He expected that as a result the votes are in the right of the political spectrum fragmented.
Raquel Clemente established by the PP hopes that the voters think twice before voting for one of the small parties. “You should make the most out of your voice. If we get a Conservative only a few seats, not much we can do for the people in the country.”
Well possible that your appeal is going unheard. According to all predictions, the election on Sunday will show that the Spaniards have lost in the entire country confidence in the traditional parties. The to regain, it takes more than just promise.
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Right-wing populists play a key role in the election in Spain
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