The Basque region's moderate nationalist Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) appeared set to take a tight victory in Sunday's regional elections, according to an exit poll made public as polling stations closed, according to dpa. Basque regional Prime Minister Juan Jose Ibarretxe's PNV was given up to 32 seats in the 75-member regional parliament, against up to 25 seats for Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's socialists. The elections were seen as the first in which a party defending Spain's unity could oust from power the PNV, which seeks to loosen ties to Madrid. The PNV has ruled the Basque region since it was granted a broad autonomy in 1979. Radical separatists close to the militant group ETA had been barred from participating in the elections. Elections were also held in north-western Galicia, where the conservative People's Party (PP) appeared set to take the most seats. The party wants to reconquer the power it lost to a coalition of socialists and Galician nationalists in 2005. The elections were a political test for Zapatero, whose support has suffered over a deepening recession, and for conservative opposition leader Mariano Rajoy, whose leadership has come under increasing criticism because of corruption allegations affecting the PP.
