“Crash test” for his government Pedro Sanchez they are expected to be municipal and regional elections which will take place on Sunday May 28th. Spain. The Socialist Workers Party, one of the strongest social democratic parties in Europe that merged with the United We Can (Unidas Podemos) party and took over the country in November 2019, has not been tested in any serious electoral struggle in recent times. four years due to restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the popularity of both Sanchez and his left-wing allies appears to have declined in many parts of the country, while opinion polls show a rise of the far right. Particularly in the South, many blame the government for not preparing enough for the historic heat wave that hit the country last month and the ensuing drought that left farmers and ranchers without water and destroyed their production. In addition, they argue that laws promoted by the government to protect the environment ignore the needs of small producers and strengthen large industries that have the money to purchase new technologies.

Tourists are returning

Polls show a decline in the popularity of Spain’s centre-left government and the rise of the far right.

On the Opera building on the Ramblas in Barcelona recently appeared graffiti with the slogan “Tourists are back.” This case is another manifestation of the “anti-tourist” sentiment that is flaring up in the most visited city in Spain. With over 27 million visitors a year, the Catalan capital is becoming increasingly inaccessible to locals as rents skyrocket and property availability shrinks.

The problem of his control hypertourism became the centerpiece of political debate in the country and is expected to influence the decision of many voters next Sunday. Barcelona’s far-left mayor, who is running for a third term, has promised to “slow down” the rampant tourism by reducing the number of cruise ships docking in the city and converting some hotels into social housing.

Sunday’s elections, in which 12 of the country’s 17 communities will also vote for their local parliaments, will take place six months before Spaniards are called upon to elect a new leader for the country. As no major party is expected to win a majority in the 700-seat parliament, the dynamics that emerge from local polls will also provide insight into possible future alliances that are expected to put the country in a difficult position. . long pre-election period.