Spain's town halls witness changeover of power based on pacts

The color of the political map changed in Spain as the changeover of power took place in Spain's city halls on a day that saw the country's major cities change their local governments with the majority swinging to the political left.

The change in so many town halls is due to the results of the regional and local elections on May 24 which saw support for the ruling Popular Party (PP) drop to just 27 percent with the rise of newly formed political formations Podemos and Cuidadanos (Citizens).

Following three weeks of negotiations attempting to reach pacts, the PP has retained control of just 2 of Spain's 10 biggest cities (Malaga and Murcia), while left wing parties sponsored by Podemos are now in control of Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, the most important cities in the land.

Ahora Madrid, which are led by 70-year-old former workers' rights lawyer Manuela Carmena, took control of the Madrid city hall with Carmena sworn in as mayor after entering into agreement with the Socialist (PSOE) Party to end 24 years of PP rule.

A similar three-way leftist coalition ended 24 years of rule by the PP's Rita Barbara in Valencia, while Ana Colau, who made her name as an anti-eviction activist, is set to become Mayor of Barcelona after agreeing a pact with leftist Catalan parties to oust former Mayor, Xavier Trias who represented Convergence and Uion party (CiU).

Elsewhere the PP also lost Cadiz, which they had ruled for the last 20 years, to a leftist coalition, while a similar result was seen in La Coruna.

The PP have reacted to their loss of power by accusing the PSOE of giving their support to the "radical left," with the PSOE responding that Saturday was the beginning of "new times."

With just five months ahead of the general elections, the past three weeks of negotiations have given Spaniards an idea of what may happen if the four-way split is repeated in November. Endit