SEVILLE, Spain: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez´s Socialists appeared set for an unprecedented drubbing in Andalusian regional elections that could be a dress rehearsal for next year´s national vote, an exit poll predicted.
Regions wield wide-ranging powers in areas including health, education and housing in Spain´s decentralised political system, making the election in the country´s most populous region especially significant.
Andalusia -- a sun-soaked tourist magnet famed for its Mediterranean beach resorts and historic cities such as Seville, Granada and Cordoba -- was governed by the Socialists for almost 40 years.
But an exit poll for regional broadcaster Canal Sur predicted the main conservative Popular Party (PP), which has governed the southern region since 2019, would secure another majority in the Socialists´ former heartland.
Andalusia´s PP leader Juanma Moreno was predicted to win up to 59 of the 109 seats, while the Socialists were credited with a maximum of 29 seats -- which would be a historic low.
