Spain’s Socialist winners need the right or far-left to form cabinet

PM Petro Sanchez increased his Socialists’ share in the lead of Spain’s third general election in four years to 29pc of the vote, but not enough to form a government. For the first time since military rule ended in the 1970s, the far-right Vox (10.3pc), which is anti-multiculturalism, -immigration and “-radical feminism,” is set to enter parliament. Vox was also boosted by its fervent opposition to any concessions to the Catalan separatists. Pablo Casado’s Popular Party, which ruled Spain until May 2018, lost half its support and dropped to second place with 16.7pc of the vote. Even with Pablo Inglesias’ Podemos, Sanchez is still short of a majority and will have to turn to the smaller parties or the right before tackling Spain’s economic woes, high unemployment, and the bankruptcies of major companies.