Fourth legislative in four years in Spain. Polling stations opened Sunday, November 10 at 9 am, in a climate weighed down by the Catalan crisis and the expected rise of the extreme right-wing Vox that claims to be able to solve it significantly.

Six months after the last parliamentary elections won by the Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez without the absolute majority, the latter asks the 37 million voters to give him a clear mandate to put an end to the political instability that Spain has been experiencing for almost four years. years.

According to polls, the head of government should win the poll as in April, but again without a majority allowing him to put an end to the political instability that has undermined the country since 2015. Vox could, meanwhile, perform a breakthrough and become the third force in the Chamber of Deputies.

In any case, neither a left bloc (PSOE, radical left Podemos and its dissident Mas Pais list) nor an alliance of rights (PP, VOX and the liberals of Ciudadanos) would reach an absolute majority of 176 out of 350 seats.

Scrutin under high surveillance in Catalonia

For Pedro Sanchez, an alliance with Catalan separatist parties has become almost impossible to contemplate, the protests against the conviction of nine leaders of the attempted secession of Catalonia in 2017 eventually degenerating into violence.

The fear of a repeat of these nights of clashes, which have left more than 600 wounded, has put the police on alert and the vote will be held under heavy surveillance in Catalonia.

Santiago Abascal, the leader of the Vox party, is making a name for himself by calling for the ban on separatist parties, the suspension of Catalan autonomy and the arrest of its pro-independence president Quim Torra.

In his last campaign meeting on Friday night in Madrid, his supporters chanted "Torra a mazmorra!" (Torra in the dungeon!).

Among them, Ana Escobedo affirmed: "I always voted PP but considering the situation, I believe that it is necessary to use the strong way" with Catalonia and the immigration.

Vox is also campaigning against immigration, linking the arrival of African migrants to an alleged rise in crime in Spain.

"Hold on to the Franco regime"

For his part, Pedro Sanchez tries to mobilize the electorate of the left against the rise of Vox, he presents as a return of Francoism. He denounces the right who has not hesitated to ally with the new party of extreme right to take control of Andalusia, the most populated region of Spain, the region of Madrid, the richest, and the town hall of the capital.

"Spain needs a progressive government, to stand up to Francoism, extremists and radicals", repeated relentlessly the head of government who does not hide that he prefers to rule alone in the minority, rather than attempting to get along with Podemos.

Pedro Sanchez repeats that the other parties should let govern the one who comes first, abstaining during the vote of confidence of the House.

So far, the People's Party excludes from abstaining. But most analysts expect him to end in extremis by doing so, to avoid the anger of voters.

With AFP