Spain’s Socialists, far-left Podemos resume talks to form gov’t

MADRID, Spain – Spain’s Socialists and far-left party Podemos agreed Wednesday, March 30, to restart talks to form a government and oust the conservatives from power, 3 months after an inconclusive general election.

“With all due caution, we are today closer to a government of change and further away from needing to repeat elections,” Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez said after meeting with Podemos head, Pablo Iglesias, for two hours.

Iglesias and Sanchez agreed to include new market-friendly party Ciudadanos in their talks on forming a new government.

Podemos had up until now refused to take part in talks with Ciudadanos.

“The news of the day is that Podemos said yes to entering negotiations with the Socialists and Ciudadanos,” said Sanchez, a 44-year-old economics professor.

Spain has been locked in political paralysis since December’s elections put an end to the traditional two-party system, leaving a hung parliament divided among 4 main parties, none of them with enough seats to govern alone.

If no power-sharing agreement is found by May 2, new elections will be held, most likely on June 26.

Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s conservative Popular Party (PP), in power since 2011, won the most votes but lost its absolute majority, taking just 123 seats in the 350-seat parliament.

Rajoy gave up attempts to form a government after he failed to get support from other parties fed up with years of austerity measures, high unemployment and corruption scandals plaguing his party.

The Socialists, which came in second, reached a pact with Ciudadanos, which came in fourth, but it was rejected in a parliamentary vote of confidence in early March.

Podemos – which came third with 65 seats, giving it considerable clout in the new parliament – voted against the Socialist government proposal.

The party close to Greece’s ruling Syriza, judged the Socialists’ pact with Ciudadanos too liberal in economic areas and it broke off its talks with the Socialists.

Iglesias said Wednesday his party would not support “the continuation of policies which have led out country to disaster.”

But he added he was “willing to meet” with Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera to get his support to “oust the PP”.

‘We are incompatible’

Iglesias wants his party to be part of a coalition government headed by the Socialists which would be able to pass a vote of confidence in parliament if Ciudadanos abstains from voting.

“If we obtain the active or passive cooperation of Ciudadanos, other types of support will not be necessary,” he said.

Podemos had previously called for the formation of a government with the Socialists and several small regional separatist parties.

Ciudadanos immediately said it would not support a government that included Podemos.

“We are incompatible,” the party’s deputy leader in a Twitter message.

Iglesias said he was willing to compromise and was prepared to give up his demand that he be named deputy prime minister in order to form a coalition with the Socialists.

“I am willing to not be a part of the government,” said Iglesias, who is deeply unpopular with some top Socialist leaders who accuse him of “arrogance” because of his harsh criticism of the party.

But Iglesias insisted on the need for a program that favors higher social spending, measures to boost workers’ rights and stop home evictions.

Opinions poll show Podemos has lost support since the election. 

The party has been hit by an internal crisis due to the resignation of several regional leaders and Iglesias’ ouster over the party’s number 3 due to differences of opinion over strategy. – Laurence Boutrex, AFP / Rappler.com