Exit polls by state broadcaster TVE suggest that the conservative People's Party (PP) of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will remain the largest party in the Spanish parliament despite losing considerable ground, according to dpa, The conservatives are expected to take 116 of the 350 seats in the lower house, according to the first exit poll released by TVE after polling stations closed. If the polls are correct, the conservatives have lost a third of their seats and will need a coalition partner to form a government. The Socialists (PSOE) under opposition leader Pedro Sanchez appear to have won 83 seats, also losing many seats compared to the last election four years ago. The election saw considerable wins for two new political forces in Spain, the liberal Ciudadanos party and left-wing Podemos. Podemos, which means "We can," under the leadership of Pablo Iglesias, gained 78 seats, while Ciudadanos, which means "Citizens" and which is also known as the Cs, which won a much lower than forecast 49 seats. Complicated negotiations are now expected to start, with none of the parties indicating possible partners during the election campaign.
