The power shift in Spain is palpable as on Saturday left-wing coalitions in four out of five of Spain's largest cities formally took over.

In last month’s election, as reported in Reuters, the center-right ruling People's Party lost its governing authority in over a dozen provincial capitals across the country, which is not a good sign for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, whose political fate will be decided in the upcoming parliamentary election.

Large metropolitan areas such as Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Zaragoza now have left-wing administrations formed by community activists.

In Madrid, a left-wing former judge named Manuela Carmena will be the new mayor, and her office effectively puts an end to 24 years of rule by the Popular Party. The 71-year old Carmena was backed by the recently formed anti-austerity party Podemos. Her anti-corruption campaign was centered on blocking the privatization of public services as well as preventing household evictions in Madrid.

Even though the new mayor enjoyed support from Podemos -- a radical party headed by political science professor turned political leader Pablo Igesias -- Carmena, who was active as labor rights activist during the Franco dictatorship, maintains that she is not affiliated with any party.

Her hope, as she explained to journalists, was to help bring about "a real change in the way of doing politics." Carmena, who retired from the legal profession back in 2010, had busied herself by setting up a shop where she sold baby clothes that were sewn by ex-convicts.

As reported in Reuters, Carmena had been much sought after as a candidate by the Podemos party, and after initially turning them down several times she finally agreed to run for mayor in March.

A colorful and unorthodox choice for a candidate the septuagenarian soon found herself to be the favored candidate among bohemians and social activists alike.