Conservatives tipped to gain in Spanish regional elections

Spain's main opposition party was forecast to make gains in Sunday's regional and local elections as the ballot counting began.

The vote was seen as a test of the conservative People's Party's (PP) chances of replacing left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in the general election at the end of the year.

"We go into the count with a good feeling and optimism," PP general coordinator Elías Bendodo said after the unofficial forecasts were published.

However, according to those numbers, the PP could only hope for an absolute majority in the regional parliament in the Autonomous Community of Madrid.

There, the regional head of government Isabel Díaz Ayuso (PP) could govern alone with 70 to 72 seats, according to the results of by-election polls published by state TV channel RTVE.

A replacement in favour of the PP was also in the offing in larger cities, including Seville. Meaningful projections based on counted ballots were not expected until late at night.

Earlier, the votes in Europe's fourth-largest economy were described as a "dress rehearsal" for the election at the end of the year by the newspaper El Mundo and other media.

Political analyst Fernando Ónega wrote in a column for the newspaper La Vanguardia on Sunday that "the future of the country will be decided."

Sánchez cast his vote in Madrid some 20 minutes after the polls opened. The socialist politician called on Spaniards to go to the polls en masse.

"The more people go to the polls today, the better for our institutions, the stronger our democracy will be," said Sánchez.

Voter turnout was 36.7% at 2 pm (1200 GMT), slightly higher than four years ago.

More than 36 million Spaniards are called upon to elect new regional parliaments, municipal assemblies and mayors in a major test for the left-wing governing coalition of Sánchez.

Voting in 12 of the country's 17 Comunidades Autónomas and in the northern enclaves, as well as in nationwide municipal elections, foreshadow parliamentary polls due by December 10.

As well as economic and social issues, the heated election campaign has recently been dominated by criticism of the candidacy of former ETA terrorists and a vote-buying scandal.

According to surveys, neither the Sánchez left-wing PSOE nor the PP will achieve a majority in the parliamentary elections and will therefore need partners to govern.