The PP managed last night, thanks to the vote of Spaniards residing abroad, to snatch a seat from the PSOE on the horn. The final count of the CERA vote (Electoral Census of Absent Residents) for Madrid fell massively on the popular side, so that, being a direct transfer, those of Alberto Núñez Feijóo would finally have 137 seats for the 121 to which they regress the socialists.

The day started very early and, after several days waging the battle to impose each one their story, PSOE, PP, Vox, Sumar or Junts, among others, agreed to hold their breath until the count was resolved.

Despite the fact that, one after another, the first eight seats at stake for a handful of votes did not suffer any alteration, the national leadership of the PP continued to trust that the battle for Madrid would be decided in their favor so that, at least, the president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, “it would not be worth it with an abstention from Junts to be invested.” And that will be the case in the end, so the abstention from the formation of Carles Puigdemont is insufficient.

With their eyes fixed on the pavilion set up in the Casa de Campo, to the west of the city, the respective members of each party were scrutinizing in detail the ballots of each one of the 72 ballot boxes arranged with the ballots deposited during the previous weeks in the ballot boxes arranged in the consulates. All with the aim of defending any vote in favor or, on the contrary, annulling those that could add to the rival box. “Each one counts and we will fight until the last one,” predicted yesterday from the surroundings of Sumar a regional deputy who participated in this same count four years ago. And the dilation of the process, which lasted until almost midnight, was the proof.

Apart from Madrid there were no surprises. Not even Girona and Tarragona, where the differences were very small, saw Sunday’s results altered. In the first, the PP started with a disadvantage of 363 ballots with respect to Junts. But his 275 votes were insufficient compared to his rival’s 336. While in the second, the PSC surpassed Junts by 658 votes to 200, although they were insufficient.

Nor in Almería, Córdoba and the Balearic Islands, where the PSOE was the winner of the respective CERA vote counts without enough difference to cause any alteration in the distribution of seats already established, to the relief of those of Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the force with the most votes in the three constituencies.

And much less in Navarra, where the Socialists simply certified their partial victory on Sunday, or in Ourense, where the Popular Party did the same to confirm itself as the predominant force in all of Galicia.

Cantabria also had suspense due to the delay caused by three boxes that arrived when the count had already begun. But the seat that was dancing remained in the Vox box.

Finally, 233,688 residents abroad have exercised their right to vote, representing 10.04% of the 2.3 million Spaniards registered with CERA. This data represents an increase of 6.85% compared to the 2019 elections when 145,853 residents abroad from a census of 2,130,754 citizens exercised their right to vote. An increase to which the disappearance of the vote system has contributed. This mechanism that forced voters to carry out cumbersome prior procedures that, in many cases, pushed those affected to give up exercising their right to vote.

The highest participation was registered in London, where 18.8% of the census voted –17,662 Spaniards–, ahead of Paris –15.17% for a total of 13,952 people– and Buenos Aires –6.22% of the census and 18,921 voters.

Once the scrutiny is over, the period will open for the representatives of the candidacies to present the claims they deem appropriate before their respective provincial electoral boards. And once all the appeals have been resolved, which may ultimately reach the Central Electoral Board, or when the deadline for their presentation has elapsed without any having been presented, the proclamation of the candidates will be made, presumably on Monday. have elected results.