The Socialist Party of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has suffered a damaging blow after a decisive loss in the regional election in Aragón, a region often dubbed “Spain’s Ohio” for its tendency to mirror the national political mood.
The conservative People’s Party (PP) finished first with 34.3% of the vote, despite losing two seats. Sánchez’s Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) came in second with 24.3%, suffering a sharp five-seat loss.
The biggest winner of the night was the right-wing Vox party, which surged to 17.9%, gaining seven seats and consolidating its position as a kingmaker in the region.
The outcome marks the joint-worst result ever for the Socialists in Aragón and places Vox in a strong position to help form a favorable right-wing coalition with the PP — a development that could further weaken Sánchez’s fragile grip on power at the national level.