Historic Gains for VOX as PP Falls Short of Majority in 2025 Extremadura Regional Elections
VOX achieves historic success in Extremadura 2025 elections, while PP falls short of majority and PSOE suffers heavy losses.
- • VOX attains 10.15% of votes with candidate Sira de Miguel, doubling their seats and becoming most voted in several towns.
- • PP secures 28 seats, falling short of the 33 needed for an absolute majority.
- • PSOE loses 10 seats and approximately 107,000 votes, retaining only one seat in Cáceres.
- • PP and VOX together achieve 60% of the vote, indicating a rightward political shift.
Key details
The 2025 Extremadura regional elections marked a significant shift in the political landscape, with the far-right party VOX achieving a historic result and the People's Party (PP) narrowly missing an absolute majority. VOX, led by the relatively unknown candidate Sira de Miguel, secured 10.15% of the vote, dramatically increasing its parliamentary presence and becoming the most voted party in several small towns. The combined vote share for PP and VOX reached 60%, underscoring a realignment of voter preferences in the region.
While the PP, headed by María Guardiola, increased its seat count to 28, it fell short of the 33 seats required for an outright majority, compelling it to consider a coalition with VOX to form the government. Despite Guardiola's strong showing, this outcome delayed her ambition to govern alone. Meanwhile, the Socialist Party (PSOE) suffered a major defeat, losing 10 seats and approximately 107,000 votes. The party retained just one seat in the province of Cáceres, narrowly holding it by 244 votes, according to early counts. Voter abstention, dissatisfaction with the PSOE candidate who was facing legal issues, and the incumbent government's lack of charismatic leadership contributed to its losses.
The election utilized a closed-list proportional representation system across the provinces of Badajoz and Cáceres, electing 65 representatives in total. Although some absentee votes from expatriates were still being counted, preliminary results indicated the PP and VOX clearly dominated the Assembly, surpassing the left-wing parties combined.
Looking ahead, the PP is expected to negotiate with VOX to secure a governing majority, as the PSOE's ongoing leadership decisions remain pending due to the election setbacks. This election reflects a broader trend in Extremadura, signaling a rightward shift and the emergence of VOX as a formidable force in regional politics.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
