PSOE revives campaign momentum while the right remains cautious and confident
Pedro Sánchez’s PSOE has shaken off inactivity and is actively campaigning, whereas the centre-right parties fear mistakes but show no sign of backing down.
Pedro Sánchez’s PSOE has moved from a defensive stance to an offensive campaign, highlighted by a high-profile visit from Argentine President Javier Milei and the distribution of left-leaning merchandise at events. Sánchez framed Milei, Feijóo and Vox leader Santiago Abascal as part of a “cut-and-saw” coalition, while also criticizing internal party cuts that removed former regional leader Luis Tudanca. The PSOE’s recent polls show a rise in its voter base after a period of high abstention and indecision.
On the right, the PP under Alberto Núñez Feijóo is visibly anxious about repeating past mistakes, still feeling the after-effects of the 2023 defeat, and is reluctant to propose any pre-electoral pact with Sánchez. Vox, meanwhile, enjoys its strongest mobilisation in fifteen years, and both right-wing parties aim to keep their supporters turning out while hoping to attract additional votes from the PP. Both camps acknowledge that the final outcome remains uncertain as voters decide later in the campaign.
Why it matters
The shifting dynamics could determine which bloc controls Spain’s parliament in the upcoming election.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTBoth camps note the PSOE’s renewed campaign momentum, but left-leaning coverage emphasizes a progressive agenda and a choice between progress and regression, while right-leaning coverage stresses the right’s cautious stance and frames the opposition as a “cut-and-saw” coalition.
LEFT
Left-leaning coverage presents Sánchez’s campaign as a forward-looking push for progressive policies, framing the election as a clear choice between continued progress and a return to outdated approaches.
RIGHT
Right-leaning coverage portrays the PSOE’s revived momentum as notable but stresses the right’s cautious stance, characterizing the opposition’s coalition as a “cut-and-saw” alliance and highlighting internal party cuts.
The left emphasises
- choice between progress and past regression
- leading position in EU job creation and sustained OECD growth
- stronger affordable-housing regulation, raising the minimum wage and safeguarding pensions
The right emphasises
- PSOE revives campaign momentum while the right remains cautious and confident
- cut-and-saw coalition
- right-wing parties anxious about repeating past mistakes
How this story developed
- Oct 18 Feijóo leads PP rally in Barcelona as Spain's election campaign heats up
- Oct 19 The quarterly barometer, funded by the Junta de Andalucía, indicates that the People's Party under Juanma Moreno would remain the most voted force in the region, though it would not regain an absolute majority. The Socialist Party, led nationally by Pedro Sánchez, appears to be losing support, while the far-right Vox and the regional Adelante Andalucía both show notable gains. The coalition Por Andalucía, headed by Antonio Maíllo, is projected to stay roughly steady.
- Oct 23 A Senate poll projection was released showing the PSOE‑Frente Amplio bloc ahead with 114 seats.
- Oct 23 Feijóo publicly declared he will pursue government formation even without his party winning the most votes.
In this story
Related stories
13 in this thread