The socialist Adrián Barbón did not have the placid night yesterday that was announced for his first re-election as president of the Principality of Asturias at the age of 44, in collaboration with the rest of the center-left and in one of the largest historical fiefdoms of his party. The strong rise of the PP, seconded by the rise of Vox, led to the fact that, when less than 2% remained to be counted, the progressive majority was only by a difference of one seat.
“The left resists in Asturias despite the headwind from the right,” the Sanchista Barbón poetically proclaimed, shifting the burden of wear and tear to his leader, the Prime Minister. The popular candidate, the Eurobureaucrat Diego Canga, gave the counterpoint exactly the opposite in his speech, to, as it should be, hang medals from the strong rise. “We have obtained the best result in more than fifteen yearsâ€, he highlighted.
The PP’s jump is more than remarkable, climbing from 10 to 17 seats and surpassing the five deputies lost by the missing Ciudadanos. The popular ones are only two seats away from the PSOE, which previously doubled them, which may give rise to thinking of an alternative. But Vox is not only still there, but also doubled its two seats in 2019, while Foro Asturias, the former party of the ex-popular Francisco Ãlvarez Cascos, managed, despite losing a deputy, to continue in Parliament after expelling its founder and probably recovering the mayoralty. from Gijon. In that city there was a shift to the right, led by Carmen Moriyón, from Foro, while in Oviedo the popular Alfredo Cantelli won the absolute majority.
The right reached 22 seats against the forecast, but what really matters for now, despite the scare and the warning messages that can be lethal if not taken seriously, is that the center-left added 23 deputies out of 45.
Although Barbón gave up a seat, as was seen coming in the polls and which does not seem like much in the context of this adverse wind for the PSOE, the great problem of the center-left was in the abracadabrant internal fight of Podemos even in the campaign. In the purple formation, a merciless fight was waged between the candidate and the regional leadership, supported from Madrid by Minister Irene Montero. And they lost three of their four deputies. IU raised one, decisive.
