Why 2015 Will Create a More Fragmented Spain

2015 will be a key year for Spain, which will be holding municipal, regional and national elections that will bring about a substantial change in the country's political landscape. Spain will likely evolve from a two-party system to a multiparty one, where the center-right and center-left establishment forces will have to share power with new challengers. This change is part of an EU-wide trend. Across the Continent, the economic crisis has fueled the rise of new political players that question the traditional elites.

Municipal and regional elections held between March and September will preview the battle for the national government that will happen in November or December. After the national elections, Spain will probably be ruled by a coalition — a rare thing in a country that has historically had strong central governments. Beset with a fragmented parliament, the new government in Madrid will have to deal with political and social pressures to slow down, or even reverse, some of the economic reforms implemented since the beginning of the European crisis. It will also be under pressure to break away from some of the measures sponsored by the European Union and applied by the conservative government. Such moves could lead to clashes between Madrid and Brussels next year.