People's Party (PP) has won the regional election in Castilla y León but will require the backing of the far-right Vox to form a government, according to official results released after voting on Sunday.
With more than 99% of ballots counted, the PP secured 33 seats in the regional parliament and received 35.5% of the vote. The result represents a gain of two seats compared with the previous election but falls short of the absolute majority needed to govern alone in the legislature.
The election outcome places the PP in a position where it must negotiate with Vox in order to establish a governing coalition or secure parliamentary support.
The vote also showed modest gains for the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), led nationally by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The Socialists won 30 seats, two more than in the previous election, maintaining their position as the second-largest political force in the regional parliament.
Despite the Socialists’ improved performance, the party does not have enough support to challenge the PP’s position as the largest party in the legislature.
Incumbent regional president Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, who led the PP campaign, said after the results that negotiations would be necessary but made clear that his party would not consider agreements with the Socialists.
“We will have to engage in dialogue, but we've already said with whom we will not make agreements. Castilla y León will be a region free of ‘Sanchismo,’” Mañueco said in remarks reported after the vote.
The term “Sanchismo” is commonly used by critics of Sánchez’s policies to describe the political direction of the current national government.
While Vox did not perform as strongly as some polls had predicted, the party still increased its representation in the regional parliament. Vox won 18.9% of the vote and gained one additional seat, raising its total from 13 to 14 seats.
This outcome makes the party a key partner for the PP if it hopes to secure a stable majority in the regional assembly.
The election results also showed limited representation for smaller regional parties.
The Union of the Leonese People (UPL), which advocates greater autonomy for the León region, retained three seats in the legislature.
Meanwhile, the regional movement Soria Ya saw its representation decline, dropping to one seat.
Another regional party, Por Ávila, maintained its single seat in the assembly.
The election outcome was particularly unfavorable for Spain’s far-left parties, which lost all representation in the regional parliament following the vote.
Castilla y León, located in northwestern Spain, is the country’s largest autonomous region by land area and has a population of about 2.4 million people.
The region has historically been a stronghold of the conservative People’s Party and has been governed by the PP since 1987.
However, in recent election cycles the party has struggled to maintain an outright majority, making coalition negotiations increasingly necessary.
The latest vote reflects a broader trend seen in other regional elections across Spain in recent months.
In both Extremadura and Aragón, the People’s Party also emerged as the largest party but did not win enough seats to govern independently.
In those regions, as in Castilla y León, Vox has emerged as a crucial potential partner for forming regional administrations.
However, coalition negotiations in those regions have also proven complex, and governments have not yet been finalized.
Political analysts say the results highlight the increasingly fragmented nature of Spanish regional politics, where multiple parties often compete closely and coalition building becomes necessary to form governing majorities.
The outcome also illustrates the growing influence of Vox in regional politics, even when the party does not achieve the level of support predicted by opinion polls.
At the same time, the Socialists’ improved performance suggests that Spain’s center-left still retains significant electoral support despite facing strong competition from conservative and right-wing parties in several regions.
Negotiations between the People’s Party and Vox are expected to determine whether Mañueco can secure a second term leading the Castilla y León regional government.
Until those talks are concluded, the formation of a new administration in the region remains uncertain.
The developments in Castilla y León are being closely watched across Spain, as regional political dynamics often influence broader national debates and alliances ahead of future national elections.
