PP wins Andalusia election but falls short, needs Vox coalition

Spain's conservative Popular Party has won a regional election in Andalusia but lost its absolute majority, forcing it to seek a coalition with the far-right Vox party to govern. The result in the country's most populous region is seen as a key test ahead of a national election expected next year.

With nearly all votes counted, the PP secured 53 seats in the 109-seat regional parliament, a drop of five from 2022 and short of the 55 needed to govern alone. The Socialist Party, led nationally by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, fell to a historic low of 28 seats in a region it once dominated. Vox increased its representation to 15 seats, positioning itself as a necessary partner for a PP-led government.

The left-wing regional party Adelante Andalucía was a surprise performer, surging from two to eight seats.

Regional PP leader Juanma Moreno, who had campaigned on forming a moderate government without Vox, acknowledged the setback. He said his party had fallen short of its goal. The Socialist candidate, María Jesús Montero, who is also the national budget minister, conceded the poor result and vowed her party would learn from its mistakes.

The election campaign was dominated by local...