La Vida Alcalaína

Two days ago everyone was predicting that the PP would take control of Andalucía. Well, it didn't happen. They needed 55 seats for an absolute majority in the Junta de Andalucía Parliament and only managed 50. The Socialists (PSOE), who had been in power since the Junta first came into being 30 years ago, got 47, and the IU-V (United Left + Green Party) doubled their vote from 6 to 12 seats and now hold the balance of power. The Andalusian independence party (PA) and the peculiarly apolitical UPyD didn't get any.  Twice as many disenchanted PSOE voters defected to the left than to the right. The percentage vote for PP and PSOE were 40.66% and 39.52% respectively.  The IU got 11.34%. José Griñan and the PSOE team celebrate the avoidance of a crushing defeat WIll the PSOE and IU form a coalition and keep the red flag flying down here in the south?  Watch this space ... To check results for individual locations in Andalucía go to  http://resultados.elpais.com/elec

There are some days when you can't bring yourself to turn on the TV or read the papers because you know the news is going to be bad.  Tomorrow is going to be one of those days.  Andalucía's regional elections take place today, and the right-wing Partido Popular (PP) are predicted to win with an absolute majority.  For the first time in its 30-year history, the Junta de Andalucía will not be run by the Partido Socialista de Obreros Españoles (PSOE) and our flagship health and education systems will be hacked to pieces in a wave of savage spending cuts. Party leaders vote in the Andalusian Parliamentary elections Here in Alcalá de los Gazules, where last year the PP  formed an uncomfortable pact with the Izquierda Unida (United Left) in order to oust the PSOE, the situation would be comic if it weren't so tragic.  The eerily invisible Mayor, Julio Toscano, decided to use the money in the town's coffers to pay off a bank loan rather than pay seventy council worker

Carnaval is my favourite of all the festivals and fairs here.  The whole town is involved, families come out together to enjoy themselves, everyone has a good time (except perhaps the targets of the chirigotas' ruthless satire), and there is no religious subtext. The fancy dress parade is great example of how creative the alcalain@s can be without spending a lot of money - a flamenco dress made of crisp packets?  Ingenious! Thanks to Chemary Gómez Reyes for some of the photos.  You can subscribe to his YouTube channel CHEMARYALCALA  for lots more videos of Carnaval and other events in Alcalá de los Gazules.