Castille and Leon will hold snap elections

Regional elections will be held today in Spain’s autonomous community of Castile and Leon.

All 81 seats in its unicameral legislature, the Cortes, are up for grabs. Today’s contest marks the first time a Castile-Leonese president utilized presidential prerogative for a snap election. Tensions over the pandemic’s handling eventually saw the ruling minority center-right People’s Party (PP) expel their coalition partners, the liberal Citizens, from the government. The center-left Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) currently holds the most seats at 35.

Spain’s largest community by area, Castile and Leon is sparsely populated. Depopulation and feelings of government neglect led to the rise of Emptied Spain, a political platform allying provincial parties to contest Spain’s national parties and bring attention to local issues, especially demographic challenges. Emptied Spain is fielding parties across Castile and Leon, including Soria Now!.

Expect Emptied Spain to make electoral gains today through its provincial arms, mirroring trends seen with parties like Teruel Exists. PP is unlikely to repeat its success over the left in the 2021 Madrid elections but polls suggest it will still come out in the lead, albeit without a majority. Expect it to rely on Emptied Spain to govern, with increased funding for development in rural communities in return.