Spain’s right-wing People’s Party (PP) won the regional elections in Castilla y León on Sunday, but fell well short of an outright majority, meaning it will likely need support from the far-right Vox party to continue governing.
With around 98% of the vote counted, the PP led by regional president Alfonso Fernández Mañueco secured 33 seats in the regional parliament, two more than the 31 it obtained in the previous election in 2022. However, the party remains far from the absolute majority of 42 seats required to govern alone in the 82-member assembly.
The PP has governed for almost four decades in Castilla y Leon, a vast and heavily agricultural region to the northwest of Madrid marked by depopulation.
The socialists (PSOE), led by Carlos Martínez, also improved on its previous performance, winning 30 seats — two more than four years ago — remaining the second-largest force in the regional legislature.
The far-right Vox party obtained 14 seats, gaining one compared with the last election. The result means the party once again holds the balance of power in the region and could be decisive in negotiations over the formation of a government. Unlike in the recent regional elections in Extremadura and Aragón, however, Vox did not register a major surge in support. ALSO READ: PP wins Aragón election, dependent on Vox after far-right surge; PSOE records all-time low.
Among the smaller parties, the regionalist Unión del Pueblo Leonés maintained its three seats in the Castilla y León parliament, the same number it held previously. The local platform Soria ¡Ya! suffered losses, dropping from three seats to just one. Por Ávila also retained representation with a single seat.
Several parties disappeared from the regional parliament altogether. Ciudadanos, which previously had representation, failed to win any seats, as did the left-wing alliances IU-Sumar and Podemos.
More than two million voters were eligible to take part in the election, which was held on Sunday with polling stations closing at 8pm. Voters elected 82 representatives to the regional legislature — one more than in the previous election.
The vote in Castilla y León is the third electoral contest in Spain’s current regional election cycle, following earlier snap elections held in Extremadura and Aragón. ALSO READ: PP wins in Extremadura, but will have to depend on Vox to govern, as PSOE collapses.
ALSO READ: Spain’s main opposition party claims the ruling socialists are in ‘irreversible decline’.
ALSO READ: Spain’s main opposition party, the PP, open to working with far-right Vox if elected.
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El PP vence en Castilla y León, con el PSOE pisándole los talones, y Vox seguirá teniendo la llave del Gobierno
Podemos-AV, Sumar-IU-VQ y Ciudadanos salen de las Cortes de Castilla y León
✍️ Mª Carmen Cruz Martín#CyLdecideRTVEhttps://t.co/sE6AMcOH7l
— RTVE Noticias (@rtvenoticias) March 15, 2026
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