Islam Times - Spain's Podemos proposes forming joint left-wing government

Islam Times - The leader of Spain's leftist party Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, has proposed forming a joint left-wing government along with Pedro Sanchez of the socialist party PSOE and Alberto Garzon of the United Left.

After a meeting on Friday with Spain's King Felipe VI, Iglesias told a news conference that he had informed the monarch about his decision to form a joint “government of change with the Socialists and the United Left.”

Iglesias said he would seek the post of deputy prime minister in the new government, and leave the post of prime minister to Sanchez.

“We understand it would be reasonable for Pedro Sanchez to become prime minister, and that it would be reasonable for us to [have] the deputy prime minister,” he said.

Iglesias said he would call both Sanchez and Garzon on the phone on Friday and talk to the two about his plan.

Political limbo

Following inconclusive general elections of December 20, 2015, Spain's ruling Popular Party (PP), under the leadership of acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, lost its parliamentary majority.

Rajoy and Iglesias, however, both rejected forming an alliance with one another to form a government.

Rajoy, instead, called for the formation of a “broad-based, consensus government” with parties sharing his stance on issues such as rejecting Catalans’ bid for independence.

“There is a majority of Spaniards who have expressed their backing for fundamental issues, such as defending Spanish unity,” Rajoy said. “The [outcome] that would best match the will of the majority would be a government with broad support [from parties].”

Rajoy said a coalition of this sort would provide the country with the political stability required to continue Madrid's economic recovery plan.

The PP won 123 seats in Spain’s 350-member lower house of parliament, losing 63 seats, while the socialists came second with 90 seats, followed by Podemos and allies with 69, and Ciudadanos with 40.

The PP needed to garner 176 seats to win the majority in parliament.