Aug
27
By Nigel Davies
MADRID (Reuters) – Spain’s northwestern region of Galicia said on Monday it would move up local elections to October 21, in what is seen as a mini-referendum on Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s deep spending cuts to stave off the euro zone debt crisis.
Both Galicia, a longtime stronghold for Rajoy’s conservative People’s Party, and the Basque Country will have early elections on the same day, as leaders in both regions seek consensus for tough cost cuts in 2013 budgets.
In Galicia, pollsters say the PP is at risk of losing its absolute majority in the regional legislature, or even of losing power altogether, possibly to a Socialist opposition group, which has yet to choose a candidate and establish a platform.
A shift in power might not mean an outright rebellion against austerity programs in Galicia, but it would be psychologically damaging to the PP if a traditional stronghold falls to the opposition at a time of growing discontent over spending cuts in sensitive areas like schools and hospitals.
A PP loss would also be a heavy blow for the ruling party since Alberto Nunez Feijoo, the current PP leader of Galicia, is a friend and ally of Rajoy, who is himself from Galicia.
“September is going to be a difficult month for the government, and now October too. People will want to see what measures the government takes in September before deciding who to vote for in Galicia,” said Jose Pablo Ferrandiz, analyst at polling firm Metroscopia.
“If the PP lose in Galicia, which cannot be ruled out, and we see a change in the Basque Country, then we’ll have two more points of tension for the government,” he said.
Galician elections were originally scheduled for March next year. The new election date means a fresh government will both pass and execute its own budget rather than passing a budget that would be inherited by a new government.
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