Socialist Party wins Andalusia elections in Spain

Spanish Socialist Workers' Party won the regional elections in Andalusia, southern Spain, with a small majority of 35.5 percent of votes, while the conservative people' party got 26.7 percent of votes.
The results were broadcast by the Spanish TV late Sunday, noting that about 64 percent of the citizens had voted, which is about four million out of 6.5 of the region's population, compared to 61 percent in 2012's elections.
According to these results, the Spanish Parliament, which consists of 109 seats, will be divided between the Socialist Party with 47 seats, the conservative party with 33 seats, the recently launched leftist party, Podemos, with 15 seats and Ciudadanos, another fast-rising party seen as socially liberal and economically conservative, will have nine seats.
Despite the socialists winning 47 seats, it is considered their worst result in Andalusia, the party's headquarters since 1982. The party will be obliged to align with others to gain the majority of votes in the parliament.
As for the conservatives, who won the 2012 elections with a majority of 40.7 percent of votes and controlled 50 seats, the current result is also their worst in 25 years.
The conservatives and socialists, Spain's two dominant parties, have fears against the rising popularity of the one-year-old Podemos party which won 14.8 percent of votes in the current elections, and the Ciudadanos with 9.3 percent.
Andalusia is the second largest autonomous region in Spain, with the largest population in the country. Andalusia suffers the highest rate of poverty and unemployment of 34 percent in general, with 60 percent being among youth.
The recent elections are the first among three other rounds to occur this year. The next elections will be held in May, followed by the polling in Catalonia in September, to be concluded by the general elections in November.