Spain's ruling centre-right Popular Party (PP) consolidated its grip on power in local and European Parliament elections yesterday, less than a year ahead of a general election, independent exit polls said.
In its first major test since winning power in 1996, the PP government of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar was on course to win nine of 13 autonomous regional assemblies up for grabs and 40 of 50 municipalities throughout Spain, several polls showed.
That would leave the PP's domination of Spanish politics largely unchanged from the last local elections in 1995. In the European Parliament ballot, the PP's share of support was also largely unchanged at between 38.5 and 40 per cent.
The opposition Socialist Party (PSOE) increased its share to about 35 per cent from 30 per cent in 1994.