Juanma Moreno has failed to secure enough votes to be re-elected as president of Andalucia.

In a so-called investiture vote on Tuesday, the Partido Popular leader received the backing of his party’s 53 MPs.

However, he fell two votes short of the 55 needed for an outright majority in the 109-seat chamber.

Every other party, including Vox, voted against his candidacy.

However, as it was the first round of the regional parliament’s investiture vote, the process will now move to a second ballot later this week.

The result had been widely expected after Vox repeatedly insisted it would not support Moreno without signing a formal governing agreement with the PP.

Speaking shortly before the vote, Moreno remained optimistic, saying: ‘I haven’t lost hope, I haven’t lost my enthusiasm or my smile to keep working for Andalucia.’

What happens now?

The Andalucian Parliament will hold a second investiture vote on Thursday at 7pm.

Unlike the first ballot, Moreno will only need a simple majority – more votes in favour than against – to become president.

However, unless Vox changes its position or abstains, Moreno would still fall short.

Why did Vox vote against him?

Although negotiations between the PP and Vox are continuing, the parties have yet to reach a governing pact.

During this week’s parliamentary debate, Vox’s Andalucia leader Manuel Gavira said Moreno would need to commit to several key demands before the party could support him.

These include adopting the principle of ‘national priority’ – effectively putting Spaniards first in public policy – ending what Vox describes as ‘climate fanaticism’, and taking a much tougher stance on immigration by ending what it calls ‘pull factor’ policies.

While Moreno made several policy overtures towards Vox during his investiture speech, he notably avoided endorsing the ‘national priority’ proposal, highlighting one of the remaining sticking points.

Could a deal still happen?

Both parties have indicated they want to reach an agreement and negotiations are continuing behind the scenes.

Political observers believe there is a realistic chance of a deal being struck before Thursday’s second vote, allowing Moreno to remain in office.

If no agreement is reached, Andalucia could face a prolonged period of political uncertainty while further negotiations continue.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.