Green and anti-austerity electoral success in Spain and Catalonia welcomed by Natalie Bennett

21 December 2015

The Green Party is welcoming the huge electoral progress made by anti-austerity parties at the Spanish general election on Sunday (20 December).

In the weekend elections, the new party Podemos, with which the Spanish Green Party (Equo) has a partnership, won 20.7% of the vote, while another new party, Ciudadanos, won 13.9%.

Green Party leader Natalie Bennett, who recorded a Green/Podemos message of support before the vote, said:

“I congratulate the three Green MPs Rosa Martinez and Juantxo Uralde in the Basque Country and Jorge Luis in Aragon on their election and also Podemos for the historic level of support it won.

“This is a powerful boost to the anti-austerity battle across Europe, and a further sign that politics is changing fast.

“Podemos and Greens are offering a new open, democratic politics, one that offers the prospect of self-determination for Catalonia, support for grassroots campaigns and organisations, and a vision of a ‘social’ Europe that works for common good, not for the 1%.”

Bennett added:

“It is also noted that women now make up nearly 40% of the Spanish parliament – helped by half of the elected Podemos candidates being female. That puts a further spotlight on the scant progress made in Britain, where only 29% of Westminster MPs are female.”

ENDS

Notes:

The Spanish Green Party Equo participated in joint lists with Podemos in this election.





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