The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party: From hegemony to decadence

Abstract

The PSOE has held a relevant position in the Spanish party system since the first democratic elections in 1977: twenty-one years in office together with a continuous presence in government at the regional and local level have credited it as government party. Throughout this period, despite undergoing periodic ideological reassessment and, on several occasions, traumatic restructuring of its leadership, the party always retained its potential as an electoral alternative, even when in opposition. Since 2008, however, there have been numerous indications that the PSOE is facing its most serious crisis: ideological-programmatic confusion; falling membership; difficulties to consolidate its national leadership and rapid electoral decline. More than a century-old, the PSOE is facing an uncertain future with respect to its role within Spanish politics. This has become particularly apparent since 2014, as the party has been confronted by competitors in the centre and on the left, the parties of the so-called new politics. This article examines the factors that have influenced the loss of electoral support in the period from 2008 to 2015, taking into account the incidence of contextual, attitudinal and political leadership elements.