Spain: Montero and PSOE Lose Ground to People's Party in Andalusia

The election campaign in Andalusia is entering a decisive phase, and the latest public opinion polls herald a historic triumph for the right. The incumbent regional president, Juanma Moreno of the People's Party, maintains a safe lead, which according to some forecasts could bring him close to an absolute majority. In his speeches, Moreno issues an ultimatum to voters, declaring that a lack of support for his party will mean consent to maintain the current, dysfunctional model of the Andalusian health service. At the same time, the PP leader distances himself from the extreme wings of his own party, claiming that on some issues he is closer to historic socialist leaders than to radical right-wing demands. The situation of the socialists under the leadership of María Jesús Montero appears dramatic. Polls indicate that PSOE is losing nearly 20 percentage points to the leader, threatening the party's position as the main opposition force. Montero is trying to mobilize the electorate, accusing the Moreno administration of practicing a „survival policy” instead of real crisis management, particularly in the context of the recent train accident in the town of Adamuz. This event has become a new flashpoint in public debate, as the judicial investigation examines the actions of the infrastructure operator Adif regarding the securing of evidence about the state of the track before the disaster. For nearly 37 years, Andalusia was a socialist stronghold, until the historic takeover by the centre-right in 2018, which permanently changed Spain's political map. On the left wing of the Andalusian political scene, there is deep fragmentation. Smaller progressive parties, sometimes referred to by critics as the „champagne left,” are more divided than ever, which realistically threatens them with a lack of parliamentary representation after the June vote. Meanwhile, the right-wing party Vox criticizes the current authorities for allegedly continuing the region's structural problems, which have been accumulating for the last 46 years. In the background of regional disputes, a broader game is being played over the stability of the central government in Madrid, where socialists are warning the Junts party against supporting conservatives in blocking key social laws, such as an anti-crisis shield protecting against evictions. „Ten rząd nie zajmował się zarządzaniem, lecz uprawiał politykę przetrwania” (This government was not engaged in management, but practiced a policy of survival) — Juanma Moreno