Spain

Abstract

The Spanish radical left has been represented in parliament since the start of the current democratic period at the end of the 1970s. During this time, it has experienced deep transformations and has gone from performing a relatively marginal role to being part (in 2020) of a national coalition government for the first time since the 1970s. This is despite the fact that some institutional features of the Spanish parliamentary system do not favour minor parties’ parliamentary representation. However, the central government and the governments and parliaments of the Comunidades Autónomas share legislative and executive powers in a system of strong regional decentralisation. These regional political and electoral arenas have allowed the radical left to increase its presence at the subnational level and to participate in some regional coalition governments. In this way, although the Spanish party system has traditionally been a multi-party one, the electoral rules favour the two larger nationwide centre-right and centre-left parties and under-represent the radical left at the national level. However, the post-2008 Great Recession years transformed this situation, fostering growth in support for the radical left (via the United Left and more prominently, Podemos) to previously unprecedented levels.