Vox, the party that saw the largest gains in the Extremadura Assembly elections, is not rushing to announce its next move. Following the vote, the party doubled its deputies from five to eleven, putting itself in a decisive position: it now holds the key to whether María Guardiola of the Partido Popular (PP) remains president of the region. Vox leader Santiago Abascal, at a brief press conference in Madrid, stressed he is open to various options—from joining a coalition government to backing the budget or investment measures. However, he made it clear that the initiative now lies with Guardiola and possibly with Alberto Núñez Feijóo.
Abascal set out only one non-negotiable condition: that Vox votes must not be ignored or betrayed, as he claims happened in the past. “We are open to every option except one where the changes voters demanded are stolen or betrayed again by Ms. Guardiola. If Vox takes part in any form, it will be to deliver real change in Extremadura,” he said. The party leader emphasized he is not looking to get ahead of events and is awaiting a decision from the PP—whether it will seek support from the Socialists, negotiate with Podemos, or ultimately choose an alliance with Vox.
Results and positions
During his speech, Abascal highlighted that Vox increased its vote count by over 40,000 and doubled its representation in the regional parliament. According to him, voters in Extremadura clearly expressed their desire to see more Vox representatives. The party’s candidate for regional president, Óscar Fernández Calle, stated, “Extremadura wants more Vox, twice as much, and it will have it.”
It remains unclear on what terms Vox is prepared to support Guardiola’s candidacy. Although she improved her result, she still fell short of an absolute majority—she lacks four seats. Without Vox’s support, the Partido Popular will not be able to retain control of the regional government.
Political climate
In his remarks, Abascal pointed out that, in his view, during the campaign the PP moved too close to the Socialists, while Vox faced a “dirty war” from both Ferraz (PSOE headquarters) and Génova (PP headquarters). He accused both parties of spreading false information and manipulating the narrative through their controlled media outlets.
The Vox leader also emphasized that his party will not allow its voters’ voices to be ignored or betrayed. He recalled that, even on election night, he stated the need to respect the will of those who voted for Vox, and that their votes must be considered when forming the new government.
Figures and distribution
With nearly all votes counted (99.89%), turnout reached 62.73%. The Partido Popular secured 29 seats (one more than before) and 43.18% of the vote. The Socialists (PSOE) lost ten seats, ending up with 18 seats and 25.72%. Vox increased its presence to 11 deputies (up by six), winning 16.9% of the vote. Unidas por Extremadura also improved their result, taking seven seats. Other parties failed to pass the electoral threshold.
To secure an absolute majority in the Extremadura Assembly, 33 seats are required. This means that without support from Vox, the Partido Popular will not be able to form a stable government. Complex negotiations are expected in the coming weeks, during which Vox will seek guarantees that their voters will not be left out of key decision-making processes.
