Partido Popular dancing in dark

MARIANO RAJOY is the victim of his own mediocre success. The Partido Popular was again the most-voted party and even increased its share of the vote, and no one could blame Mariano Rajoy, Soraya Saenz de Santamaria and Dolores de Cospedal for preening on Sunday night.

But who will invite Mariano to dance?  Adding Ciudadanos’ 32 votes to his 136 leaves him short of an overall majority, and Albert Rivera vowed that his votes will not go to the PP while Rajoy heads it. So unless he wants to sit this one out again, the acting president will have to attempt a solo.

Talk, talk, talk

PSOE candidate Pedro Sanchez’s enigmatic pledge some weeks back that there would be no third election could mean anything.

Against all the odds he edged into second place once more, but despite that promise, it looks as though Spain can expect a long hot summer of meetings, pacts and, on the part of the electorate, boredom.

The lunatics might have taken over the asylum in the UK, but in Spain the inmates are sedated while the staff sit around talking.

…and on that happy note

PABLO IGLESIAS’ decision to pal up with the former Communist party Izquierda Unida didn’t pay off. Declaring that Podemos were Social Democrats didn’t fool anyone, and between them they didn’t overtake the PSOE as expected.

Perhaps the last word should go to Antonio Elorza, a Spanish historian, writer and professor of Political Science: “Pablo Iglesias is Marxist, but more Groucho than Karl.”

Maybe next time

CIUDADANOS once again did not live up to expectations. Perhaps Spain is not ready for a truly centre party not yet tainted by corruption.

Maybe the Spanish are less concerned about corruption than they tell the pollsters. 

In the latest scandal, Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz trying to dig dirt on Catalan politicians made no impression on voters. 

Or was that because no money was involved?