Spain Braces for Coalition Jostling as Hung Parliament Predicted
- Polls show Socialists, Unidos Podemos close to majorirty
- Socialists seen losing ground, may be relegated to third place
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Polls ahead of Spanish elections next week show the leading parties may have to try forming a coalition government as no single party may emerge with the requisite majority on its own, in a repeat of the December 20 vote.
The center-right People’s Party of acting Primer Minister Mariano Rajoy, which leads the polls ahead of the June 26 vote, is predicted to fall short of the 176 seats needed for majority by at least 47 seats, according to polls by El Pais, El Mundo and ABC newspapers over the weekend. The left-leaning Podemos party seems to have gained the most over the past six month, after its alliance with Izquierda Unida, to emerge as the second strongest political force.