Spain’s conservatives win comfortably in Madrid, may need far-right support

(Update 1: Upgrades final result)

Madrid, May 4 (EFE).- The incumbent conservative president of Spain’s Madrid region, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has won an ample majority in Tuesday’s snap regional elections although she may have to rely on the far-right to form a functioning government.

The Popular Party more than doubled its share of seats in the chamber and was on track to take 65 of 136, more than twice as many as its nearest rivals, the Socialist Party (PSOE) and the left-wing Más Madrid, but short of a majority.

The left-wing bloc, composed of the PSOE, Más Madrid and Unidas Podemos did not secure enough votes between them to reach a majority.

The far-right Vox party, which took 13 seats, likely holds the key to an Ayuso-led government.

Ayuso addressed crowds of supporters before the final count came in due to the Covid-19 curfew in place.

“Liberty has triumphed again in Madrid, thank you,” she said.

Ayuso’s former coalition partners Ciudadanos, a center-right group, and once the third-largest in the chamber, failed to secure a single seat.

For Ayuso, and the PP, the Madrid regional election was a political gamble.

The incumbent president, who ran on a libertarian ticket and one staunchly opposed to the PSOE-led national government coalition of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, called the snap election back in March claiming that Ciudadanos planned to maneuver against her.