Spanish Podemos Too Young to Take Over Majority in Elections - Lawmaker

An anti-austerity force in Spain, the Podemos party, has to increase in strength before it wins a majority in the parliamentary elections in November, a German lawmaker form Die Linke party told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik), Daria Chernyshova — On Sunday, Podemos, founded last year, and pro-business Ciudadanos put in strong performances in local and regional elections, stripping the current ruling People’s Party (PP) of its majority in local governments.

“I think it sends a very strong signal that the austerity politics are wrong, and Podemos have to find their way, what direction they will go, as they are very new,” Andrej Hunko told Sputnik, adding that though Podemos got a very good result in these elections, it is unlikely to secure a majority in Spain’s parliamentary elections.

Spain’s vote challenged the established two-party system of PP and Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), and sparked speculation that Spain might go down the same route as Greece and elect an anti-austerity party in its fall elections.

“I don’t think it is exactly the same situation and I don’t think that the anti-austerity forces in Spain are as strong as in Greece,” Hunko said.

On Sunday, PP and PSOE won a combined 52 percent of the vote, down from 65 percent in the last election in 2011.

Elections took place in 13 of Spain's 17 regions and in more than 8,000 towns and cities.