The PP achieves an absolute majority in the Senate
The Popular Party has recovered the absolute majority in the Senate. With 95% scrutinized, the popular have obtained 120 senators, 37 more than in the general elections of November 2019, and have regained hegemony in the Upper House, which had been in the hands of the PSOE in the last two legislatures. For their part, the Socialists have lost 20 representatives and have remained in 73 senators after 23-J.
Contrary to what has happened in the Congress of Deputies, the Popular Party has indeed obtained the result it wanted in the Senate, achieving a comfortable absolute majority that will allow them to obtain control of the chamber throughout the legislature. The PP has been favored by the electoral system of the Senate, which causes the first party of each constituency to take almost all the seats in that province, while the rest goes to the second. Those of Alberto Núñez Feijóo have also been favored by the concentration of the center-right vote in their initials, since Vox has lost the only senator it had. However, the popular ones have been far from their best record in the Senate, which dates back to 2011, when they achieved 136 representatives. The PP has prevailed in 33 provinces, including all of Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Aragón and Galicia, while the PSOE, which has also been far from its best results, has done so in 15 -including the 4 of Catalonia-. The Community of Madrid, as usual, has been for the Popular Party.
General Elections 2023 Chamber News
In a hypothetical Government of Pedro Sánchez, the PSOE would need the rest of the forces represented in the Senate to face procedures, such as the approval of the General State Budgets. Sumar, like Unidas Podemos in 2019, has not obtained representation, so Sánchez would need to turn to the nationalist parties.
Participation in these elections, while waiting to include the vote of residents abroad, has risen almost 3 points compared to the general ones of November 2019 and has stood at 69.07%.
The representation of nationalist parties has suffered significant variations. Bildu and Esquerra Republicana -under the acronym IPLI- have presented themselves together and have achieved 7 senators that have made them the third force in the Upper House. In 2019, presenting itself separately, ERC obtained 11 and Bildu 1. The PNV loses 5 of the 9 representatives it had to remain in the 4 seats. In addition, it does not obtain representation by Álava. A similar case is that of Junts, it has lost 2 of the 3 seats it had up to now and has obtained only 1 representative for Gerona. For its part, the Gomera Socialist Group -ASG- has obtained a senator and the Canary Islands Coalition another for Fuerteventura. For Navarra, a Unión del Pueblo Navarro senator has also been obtained. In total, there will be 8 different political parties represented in the Senate.
To the 208 senators by direct appointment that have been elected this Sunday, we must add the 57 that correspond by designation to the Parliaments of the Autonomous Communities.