A woman prepares her ballots at a polling station in Barcelona on November 10, 2019 during a general election in Spain. Photo: VCG

 

Spain voted on Sunday in its fourth general election in as many years amid heightened tensions over the separatist push in Catalonia that has fuelled a surge in support for upstart far-right party Vox.

The repeat polls were called after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez failed to secure support from other parties following an inconclusive election in April which saw his Socialist party win the most votes, but no working majority in parliament.

Opinion polls, however, suggest this new election will fail to break the deadlock. Neither the left nor the right look likely to win a ruling majority in Spain's 350-seat parliament.

The Socialists are on track to finish top again, but with slightly fewer seats than the 123 they picked up in April, while the main opposition conservative Popular Party (PP) may strengthen its parliamentary presence.

But the most striking development could be the rise of the far-right Vox party, which might even jump to third-largest in parliament, according to polling.

Party leaders from across the political spectrum urged ­Spaniards to head to the polls.

Sanchez told reporters ­after voting in Madrid that "it is very important that we all participate to strengthen our democracy" and "have the needed stability to be able to form a government."

The last election produced a near-record 76 percent turnout, which helped Sanchez who had mobilized left-leaning voters to oppose Vox but analysts warn the numbers will likely drop this time, as Spaniards suffer election fatigue.

The election comes as Spain finds itself increasingly ­polarized by the Catalan crisis, which has deepened in recent weeks.

Less than a month ago, the Supreme Court of Spain sentenced nine Catalan separatist leaders to lengthy jail terms over their role in a failed 2017 independence bid, sparking days of angry street protests in Barcelona and other Catalan cities that sometimes turned violent.

More than 600 people were injured in the protests, which saw demonstrators torching barricades and throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at police.

During a TV election debate PP leader Pablo Casado called for a "real government that will put order in Catalonia."

But the toughest line against the Catalan separatists has come from Vox leader Santiago Abascal.

"Drastic solutions are needed," he said during his final campaign rally on Friday night in Madrid.