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Spanish protest parties 'surge' Spanish elections: Podemos and Ciudadanos 'make gains'
(35 minutes later)
Spanish exit polls predict big wins for anti-austerity parties in local elections and big losses for governing party Exit polls from Spain's local and regional elections have predicted gains for two new challenger parties, Podemos and Ciudadanos.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. The governing People's Party (PP) got the most votes, the polls suggested, but it may have lost Madrid city council for the first time in 20 years.
If you want to receive Breaking News alerts via email, or on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App then details on how to do so are available on this help page. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts. Turnout was marginally higher than in the last election, in 2007.
The Spanish economy, stricken by austerity measures, has been a key concern for voters.
Many Spaniards are enraged over reports of political corruption and public spending cuts implemented by Mr Rajoy's People's Party and before that by the Socialists.
Spain has now officially come out of recession.
Last year was the first time there has been full-year economic growth in the country since 2008, when a property bubble burst, putting millions of people out of work and pushing the country to the brink of a bail-out.
Unemployment remains high - nearly one in four workers is without a job - boosted by the government's labour reforms which reduced the cost of hiring and firing.
Anti-austerity party Podemos could be set to gain Spain's second largest city, Barcelona, in what would be a blow to Catalan nationalist parties.
Like Podemos, pro-business Ciudadanos campaigned on an anti-corruption platform.
More than 8,000 councils are up for grabs, with the vote seen as a key indicator for national elections later this year.
Few parties are expected to win majorities, meaning many localities could have governing coalitions, something unfamiliar in a Spain that has been dominated by the PP and the leading opposition, the Socialists (PSOE) party.