The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and MÉS per Mallorca are negotiating joint candidacies for the Senate in Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera ahead of Spain’s general election on 29 November 2026.
The talks were reported to be at an advanced stage on 11 October, although the agreements had not yet been formally finalised and the candidates still had to be selected. The parties are seeking to coordinate their electoral strategy across the archipelago, where Senate elections use an open-list system.
A Joint Strategy Across the Balearic Islands
The negotiations cover all four islands and aim to strengthen the representation of the participating parties in the Senate.
Under the electoral system, voters select individual candidates from open lists rather than voting exclusively for a closed party list. The parties are seeking to take advantage of this system by coordinating their candidacies.
Their stated electoral objective is to secure five of the six Senate seats elected across the Balearic Islands.
The proposed arrangement builds on previous efforts by left-wing parties to coordinate their Senate campaigns, including the joint left-wing candidacy in Ibiza in the 2023 general election, which won a seat.
Formentera to Elect Its Own Senator
One of the most significant changes for the upcoming election is that Formentera will elect its own senator for the first time.
A constitutional reform has separated Formentera’s Senate representation from Ibiza’s, ending the arrangement under which the two islands shared a Senate electoral constituency.
The change means that parties must organise their electoral strategies separately for Ibiza and Formentera, while also considering how to coordinate their candidacies across the wider Balearic Islands.
The proposed agreement between PSOE and MÉS per Mallorca would therefore cover two distinct island constituencies in the Pityusic Islands, alongside Mallorca and Menorca.
Ibiza and Formentera Also Discussing Left-Wing Unity
The negotiations between PSOE and MÉS per Mallorca form part of wider discussions about joint Senate candidacies among left-wing parties in the Balearic Islands.
In Ibiza, parties are considering whether to repeat the unified candidacy that secured a Senate seat in 2023. Representatives of the PSOE and other left-wing formations have indicated that discussions are under way, although party approvals and candidate selection remain necessary.
Formentera is also being considered separately, reflecting its new status as an independent Senate constituency.
These island-level discussions should not be confused with a formally completed agreement: as of 11 October, the relevant negotiations were still in progress.
Deadline Approaching for Coalition Agreements
The electoral calendar sets 16 October as the deadline for parties to notify the authorities of their electoral coalitions.
The PSOE and MÉS per Mallorca negotiations were described as advanced, but the final candidate lists and formal approvals were still outstanding. In the case of MÉS per Mallorca, any agreement would also require approval by its executive committee and ratification by the party assembly.
The coming days are therefore crucial for determining whether the proposed joint candidacies will be formally registered for the 29 November election.
If confirmed, the agreements would represent a coordinated attempt by the participating parties to maximise their Senate representation across the Balearic Islands, including in Formentera’s first election to its own seat.