MERRY GO ROUND

By Alex Trelinski

NEW mayors are on the way for Elche and Orihuela after a strong showing for the PP party in Sunday’s local elections.

Pablo Ruz is set to become Elche’s new leader after his party got 11 seats, and with the support of far-right Vox (leader Santiago Abascal pictured) five seats, will have a majority.

Pepe Vagara will be Orihuela’s new mayor after winning 10 seats - one more than last time, but will also have to do a deal with Vox.

Alicante’s mayor Luis Barcala saw a big rise in his vote with five extra councillors, while Eduardo Dolon in Torrevieja, Jose Maria Perez in Pilar de la Horadada, and

Position boosted

THE PP party strengthened its control of the Murcia region gaining five seats - two short of an overall majority.

It means that the PP's Fernando Lopez will remain as president with 21 seats but needs votes or abstentions from the far-right Vox party, as before.

Vox got five new seats to take its tally to nine while the PSOE lost four seats and now has 13.

Unidas Podemos hung on to its two seats but Ciudadanos was wiped out with the loss of all six seats. The PP has been in power in Murcia since 1995. San Javier and San Pedro stayed in PP hands, while Los Alcazares remained strongly under PSOE control.

Santa Pola’s Loreto Serrano all boosted their majorities. Jacarilla was a surprise PP gain from the PSOE which also enjoyed increased majorities in places like Almoradi and Benijofar.

It was not all doom and gloom for the PSOE which retained control - despite some fears - of Guardamar, Rojales, Dolores, and Algorfa amongst a clutch of Vega Baja councils.

It’s up in the air what happens to San Fulgencio council, where the PP is now neck and neck with PSOE. Who runs the council will depend on which direction the two councillors of the independent PIPN party decide to go. Similar horse trading will take place in San Miguel de Salinas to see if the PSOE stays in control.

SPAIN is bracing itself for a general election in July after the country lurched to the right in the local elections.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (pictured) took everyone by surprise by calling a snap national poll for July 23.

It comes after the country - and even shockingly Andaluciamostly turned blue in the May local elections.

Around the country, the right wing Peoples Party (PP) share rose by 9%, snaring 31.5% of the votes, compared to 28.2% for the PSOE socialists.

Nationwide, the PP benefited from the collapse of centre-right Ciudadanos, taking seven of the 12 regions, overthrowing PSOE in Aragon, Valencia and Rioja. The PP is likely to need support from Vox to form various regional governments.

It is this alarming rise of the farright Vox party that Sanchez thinks he can counter in a quick election.

“The best thing is for Spaniards to have their say to define the political course of the country,” he said on Monday. Voter turnout was similar to 2019, with a 61.4% turnout.