Crisis, separatism dominate Spanish elections

BILBAO, Spain (AP) — Voters in Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s northwestern home region of Galicia have given their support to his handling of the economy, but those in the turbulent Basque region handed a major victory to nationalist and separatist parties at the ballots Sunday.

Rajoy’s Popular Party increased its absolute majority in Galicia, where austerity measures were introduced even before he took power as prime minister last year, with 41 seats in a legislature of 75.