05-26-2014, 01:42 PM
Two minor leftist Spanish parties opposed to the nation's deep austerity cuts have made big gains in the European Parliament elections, dealing a blow to the ruling center-right PP ( Popular Party) and the main opposition center-left PSOE (Socialist Party).
Preliminary results from the Interior Ministry gave the United Left and We Can parties 11 of the country's 54 parliamentary seats. The Popular Party took 16 and the Socialists won 14 — far fewer than predicted.
The vote Sunday demonstrated that Spain's political system has fragmented since the Popular Party won national elections in late 2011 with an absolute majority in the national Parliament.
Many Spaniards blame the Socialists for sending Spain into economic crisis but are angry with the Popular Party for invoking unpopular tax hikes like the Wealth Tax, and cuts to cherished government programs.
Long-standing separatist party, the Republican Left, won the European Parliament elections in Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia on Sunday, official results showed.
The party captured 23.67 percent of the vote, beating the conservative Convergence and Union party, the biggest formation in Catalonia's local parliament, which came in second with 21.86 percent of the vote.
Both parties want to hold a referendum on independence from Spain on November 9, flying in the face of fierce opposition from the central government in Madrid.
Anyoner know what happened in Greece? The general trend in Europe seems that small, new parties are punishing the long established ones.
Preliminary results from the Interior Ministry gave the United Left and We Can parties 11 of the country's 54 parliamentary seats. The Popular Party took 16 and the Socialists won 14 — far fewer than predicted.
The vote Sunday demonstrated that Spain's political system has fragmented since the Popular Party won national elections in late 2011 with an absolute majority in the national Parliament.
Many Spaniards blame the Socialists for sending Spain into economic crisis but are angry with the Popular Party for invoking unpopular tax hikes like the Wealth Tax, and cuts to cherished government programs.
Long-standing separatist party, the Republican Left, won the European Parliament elections in Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia on Sunday, official results showed.
The party captured 23.67 percent of the vote, beating the conservative Convergence and Union party, the biggest formation in Catalonia's local parliament, which came in second with 21.86 percent of the vote.
Both parties want to hold a referendum on independence from Spain on November 9, flying in the face of fierce opposition from the central government in Madrid.
Anyoner know what happened in Greece? The general trend in Europe seems that small, new parties are punishing the long established ones.
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Maggie the Cat from "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." by Tennessee Williams
Maggie the Cat from "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." by Tennessee Williams