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Spanish elections: Podemos and Ciudadanos 'make gains' | Spanish elections: Podemos and Ciudadanos 'make gains' |
(35 minutes later) | |
Exit polls from Spain's local and regional elections have predicted gains for new challenger parties Podemos and Ciudadanos, at the expense of the country's traditional main parties. | |
The governing People's Party (PP) won most votes, polls suggested, but it may have lost Madrid city council for the first time in 20 years. | |
Full results are expected at about midnight local time (22:00 GMT). | |
The Spainish economy has been a key concern for voters. | |
Many Spaniards are enraged over reports of political corruption and public spending cuts implemented by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's People's Party and before that by the Socialists. | |
Spain has now officially come out of recession. | 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. | 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. |
But 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. | 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. | 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. | More than 8,000 councils are up for grabs, with the vote seen as a key indicator for national elections later this year. |
Turnout was marginally higher than in the last election, in 2007. | |
Few parties are expected to win majorities, meaning many localities could have governing coalitions, something unfamiliar in Spain, where the PP and the Socialists have dominated for decades. |