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Millions turn out to elect municipal councils and regional governments, despite protests over politics-as-usual
As tens of thousands of demonstrators continued to defy Spanish authorities by filling city squares to protest against establishment politics, millions more went to the polls to elect municipal councils and regional governments.
The socialist party of Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero suffered a resounding defeat at the hands of Mariano Rajoy's conservative People's Party (PP).
The PP achieved a historic 10 percentage point nationwide lead over the socialists – who lost control of regional governments in Aragon and Castilla-La Mancha. The city hall in Barcelona, a socialist bastion, was also lost.
It was a further sign that Europe is turning away from left-wing parties, with the PP now set for victory at a general election next March.
One of the biggest surprises came in the northern Basque country, where separatist party Bildu won 25% of the vote. Bildu was only allowed to stand after the constitutional court overturned a supreme court decision banning it for being a front for terrorist group Eta.
One in 25 voters spoiled their ballot papers yesterday, amid growing disenchantment with mainstream politics – although turnout was high at 66%.
In Puerta del Sol, the central Madrid square where the spontaneous protests began a week ago, crowds gathered to join or simply watch those taking part in the open assemblies at which the movement is trying to come up with a coherent set of demands.
Speaker after speaker insisted they did not want to leave the square yet. "We must not go until we have firm plans and proposals," said the representative of one of the sub-committees and working groups that have sprung up as part of a sophisticated exercise in open democracy.
On Saturday afternoon, the Puerta del Sol protesters agreed they would camp out for at least another week. "The consensus is to stay until Sunday 29 May," organisers said in a statement.
• This article was amended on 23 May 2011. A sub-heading in the original said that demonstrators were calling for voters to abstain. This has been clarified.
