site.btaMadrid's Residents Pessimistic about European Parliament Elections

On Friday, 7 June, less than 48 hours before the start of election day in Spain, the streets of Madrid are packed with tourists and there is no sign of election campaigning. Most citizens are pessimistic about the upcoming elections, others say that the European elections do not mean anything new for Spain, nor would they be decisive for the distribution of power in the European Parliament. 

The Spanish population is highly polarised on political issues in the country and on those related to the European Union. Most people refrain from commenting or declare that they are not interested in politics. Of the locals who agreed to share their opinion, only two said that they would definitely vote on Sunday.

One journalist said he had been following the campaign from the beginning and the local political scene since before that. He expressed confidence that the European Parliament elections are important for Spain and that the country's voice carries weight. He also noted that due to the recent elections in Spain, in early 2024 and in the summer of 2023, political parties are less active during the current campaign, relying on the impressions they have left so far. Hot topics are the attacks related to the personal lives of politicians, or the suspicions of corruption between the two main parties and between far-left and far-right formations.

A Bulgarian woman who owns a restaurant near the Royal Palace in Madrid said she will not vote in Sunday's election. She has lived in Madrid for 17 years. She said she is not interested in politics here and has no time to read up on the subject as she is swamped with work. 

A Spanish citizen born in Argentina said that she would vote in the European elections but did not see the point in it. She said that she immigrated more than 15 years ago, believing that life in Spain would be more peaceful, secure and economically stable. She categorically noted that her hopes had not been fulfilled and that corruption in Spain was so entrenched that she could not hope for change. In her view, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was misrepresented in the media as a trustworthy and responsible politician. She said that all the people she knows complain about him.

A Peruvian citizen, who has lived in Madrid for years but does not have Spanish citizenship, said that until recently he was a supporter of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his Spanish Socialist Workers Party. He does not vote because of his lack of citizenship, but he also said that this does not bother him because he does not think that his vote will increase or decrease support for the main political parties between which the main battle is fought. He also said he no longer supports the ruling Socialist Party now that Prime Minister Sanchez has recognized the Palestinian state. According to the Peruvian national, such an action is in support of the terrorist organisation Hamas and does not suit an EU member state. 

Saturday, 8 June, is also a day for reflection in Spain. Election posters, which are barely visible on the streets, remain around public educational institutions even on this day. A local journalist said that, as in Bulgaria, party leaders are obliged not to canvass on the day of reflection, but a way around this has been found, which is typical of the electoral process in Spain. On the day of reflection, Spanish political leaders become active on social networks with posts not dealing with political issues but focused on their personal lives. They share photos with family and are active in the public space, albeit without a direct link to the electoral atmosphere.