Peter and Lenox (why can’t I link to individual pieces?) pick up on the way the electoral system favours miniscule-to-tiny regional parties over small-to-medium national ones, but relative to the two large national parties they also suffer. Using strict proportional representation and assuming identical voting, UPyD and IU would have scored 26 deputies extra, ie 61%, but the nationalists would also have made smaller net gains. Those who profit above all, and to the eternal marginalisation of 25-30% of voters, are the two major parties.
PR yesterday would have meant the PP having to come to some kind of agreement with CiU or UPyD. It is true that this would have been a handicap in the battle to keep Spain in the euro, but I think many regard that as a battle already lost and are more concerned about how governments are to maintain political legitimacy in the grave times that may follow.
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“Grave” times. Yo man, RIP is just IT.