After ‘Brexit’, Europe ‘fears’ Spanish elections

Political uncertainty could fuel more turmoil on the continent

There seems to be no respite for EU central ‘command’ in Brussels. Only two days after the Britons ‘slammed’ the door of the EU by voting to leave the union, European integration will be put to the test once more, as a disillusioned, irate and economically hit Spanish electorate will go to the voting booths to elect a new government on Sunday.

Spanish newspaper ‘El Pais’ reports that the ‘enraged and with empty pockets’ Spaniards are going to cast their ballots on Sunday. EU officials are concerned over the outcome of the elections, fearing it could present yet another threat for Europe. ‘Spain brings the next great crisis in Europe’, writes German newspaper ‘Die Welt’. The article points out that the country was an example of peaceful progress, which could be undone by its political collapse. The article focuses on a number of matters like the refugee crisis, the threat of terrorism in France, the Brexit and the economic crisis in Greece, stressing that political uncertainty in Spain could pose yet another risk for the EU.

The Spanish voters are disappointed by widespread corruption in both the establishment parties, and with unemployment and harsh austerity measures exacerbating the situation, they have turned to the populist protest alliance of the Podemos and the United Left factions, says the German newspaper. Another issue that raises concerns, according to international media, is the prospect of the region of Catalonia pushing for separation from Spain.

According to the latest polls in Spain that were conducted before the Brexit result, no party will gain a majority, as the Poplar party of Mariano Rajpy leads with 28.2 per cent, the socialist party comes in second with 21.7 per cent, with United Podemos slipping to 3rd spot (21.7), followed by the ‘Citizens’’ party with 15.2 per cent. Many analysts believe the United Podemos left alliance could win enough seats to form a coalition government with the socialists in the next parliament.