Inside Story

Will Spain shift to the right?

Socialist prime minister faces serious challenge in Sunday’s early elections.

Spain will go to the polls on Sunday.

The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party under Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is facing off against the centre-right People’s Party under Alberto Nunez Feijoo.

However, it is the influence of smaller parties that could prove decisive.

Either the far left or the far right are almost certain to be part of a coalition government – the first in Spain’s history.

So will Sanchez be able to maintain power? And how is this being watched in the rest of Europe?

Presenter: Sohail Rahman

Guests:

Jose Maria Beneyto – president at the Governance and Society Institute

Emily Schultheis – former fellow at the Institute of Current World Affairs and specialist in the rise of populist far-right parties across Europe

Pablo Calderon Martinez – associate professor in politics and international relations at Northeastern University