Spain is holding elections Sunday for its 12 regional governments and 8,000 municipal councils ahead of its general election in December.
The local elections would likely be a close race between the country's major parties - the governing Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) under prime minister Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón and its main opposition, the conservative People's Party (PP), headed by Alberto Núñez Feijóo.
The results of this election will set the tone for the Spanish general election in December, where national posts will be up for grabs.
Ahead of the election, some polls suggest a particularly close race in Valencia, Aragon, and the Balearic Islands.
Feijóo: PSOE relies on "sanchismo", supports ETA candidates
The PP is using the local elections as a referendum on Sánchez's style of government, which they colloquially called "sanchismo." The opposition party depicts the current government as incompetent, overreaching, and hellbent on remaining in power.
Feijóo accused Sánchez of "[having] no limits" and that even his own party "has been unable to stop him."
The comments were made after it was revealed the Basque party Euskal Herria Bildu (EH Bildu) was harboring 44 convicted members of the defunct separatist terror group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) - or Basque Homeland and Liberty in English - who were running for local positions in this elections for several regions in northern Spain such as the Basque Country, Navarre, and Burgos.
EH Bildu later announced they would stand down seven of its ex-ETA candidates who were convicted of murder.
Feijóo also accused Sánchez of his reliance on EH Bildu, Catalan pro-independence parties, and its junior coalition partner, Podemos, in holding sway in the Spanish parliament.
Podemos introduced legislation allowing more than 1,000 convicted sex offenders to reduce their sentences and more than 100 of them to get out of jail early.
"You're the great electoral hope for rapists and pederasts, for mutineers, squatters, corrupt people, and now for those who used to go about in balaclavas with pistols," Feijóo addressed Sánchez. "And I will never be that."
Meanwhile, Sánchez urged people to ignore the allegations that "a minority is trying to stoke" and to vote calmly.
"I'm convinced that the majority of citizens will vote positively, respectfully, and thoughtfully," he said.
Regarding Feijóo, Sánchez retorted that the PP's reliance on using ETA to dismantle his government was proof of its lack of electoral initiatives.
"When ETA is nothing in Spain, it is still everything to you," Sánchez said of Feijóo. "Because, in your desperation, ETA is all you have, even though it doesn't exist."
Voter fraud
In addition to spats over ETA, Spaniards were also concerned about electoral fraud after 10 people were arrested in the Spanish North African enclave of Melilla for participating in an alleged mail-in vote-buying fraud.
Police are also investigating similar incidents in Andalucía, the Canary Islands, and Murcia.
Future PP-Vox alliance likely
Meanwhile, polls suggest PP is likely to have to rely on the far-right party Vox in forming regional governments across the country, except for Madrid. However, political analysts say the alliance would allow left-leaning parties to paint PP as a party willing to compromise with its ideals and make deals with the far right to win more seats.
According to Carlos III University political scientist Pablo Simón, Vox's influence is growing in all regions, resulting in more power and seats in more councils than in 2019.
"...Vox, which is running a very discreet campaign and is trying not to make any mistakes, will be seeking to enter into coalition governments," he said.
