Spain far-right party wins seats for first time since Franco

A far-right party in Spain broke new political ground Sunday after winning 12 seats in a regional election for the first time since the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.

In another sign that the far-right is gaining momentum in Europe, the Vox party gained its success in Andalucia, an area in the south of the country which has suffered from high unemployment and is one of the flashpoints for the country's battle with illegal immigration.

Its success was lauded by French far-right politician Marine Le Pen, who tweeted: "Strong and warm congratulations to my friends from Vox, who tonight in Spain scored a meaningful result for such a young and dynamic movement."

Vox has attracted voters with its hard-line stance on illegal immigration, its opposition to Catalan independence and its calls for Gibraltar to be returned to Spain.

It could now find itself in a position as kingmaker with the ruling Socialist party failing to secure enough seats to command a majority.

The conservative Popular Party (PP) came second, though it also lost ground.

The Socialists, who won 33 seats, said Vox's success should be viewed as "very serious."

The results in Andalucia, a region where the Socialist party has governed since the first post-Franco elections in 1982, are likely to spark fears that the far-right could gain further influence in a series of local and European elections in May 2019.

Vox will now have to wait to find out whether it will be approached to be part of the rightwing coalition that would be led by the conservative People's Party, which came second.

The result is also a setback for Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who took office in June following a corruption scandal.

Spain is not scheduled to hold a general election until 2020, though there is speculation the vote could be brought forward if Sanchez's minority government failed to pass a budget.