Always the bridesmaid

PEDRO SANCHEZ: Claiming second place ‘victory’ for the PSOE in the recent election.

PEDRO SANCHEZ sees scraping into second place with 85 parliamentary seats and proving the pollsters wrong as a victory. But the PSOE has haemorrhaged votes in the three elections since 2011, first with Rubalcaba before Podemos erupted onto the scene and twice with Sanchez.   

Susana Diaz, Andalucia’s regional president and Rubalcaba’s choice as PSOE secretary general, damned Sanchez with faint commiseration.  “I’m sure Pedro is as sad as I am,” she said after the elections.  Doubtless he is even sadder, wondering when Diaz will step into his shoes.

Frustration of hung parliament again

FOR once even Rajoy’s detractors agree with him. He said it would be “truly grotesque” if the PSOE, Ciudadanos and Podemos prevent him from forming a government. Neither politicians nor voters are up for another six months of stalemate with the accent on stale.

With 137 seats instead of the 176 needed for an overall majority, even Ciudadanos’ 32 seats, assuming Albert Rivera eats his words and backs Rajoy, won’t do the trick. The intransigence of all parties except Ciudadanos landed Spain with a second ballot and the kindest thing for all concerned is to let Rajoy hang on to the Moncloa’s front door key. And see how long he lasts in isolation.

It all adds up

THE Podemos-Izquierda Unida election alliance, that would supposedly propel them into second place, instead lost a combined 1.2 million votes.   How did Pablo Iglesias get it so wrong?

Simple: IU voters not enamoured of the telly pundit decamped to PSOE. And there’s food for thought, because without them, Sanchez’s miserable showing would have been more dismal still.

Sticky situation

DURING the election campaign Pedro Sanchez was caught dusting off his hands after greeting a black woman and her children. The video went viral and was welcomed by Podemos and the PP who wanted to rubbish Sanchez by fair means or foul.

He clearly rubbed his hands together shortly after shaking hands with the child, but what adult wouldn’t?  Children’s hands are sticky – especially at the weekend when Sanchez did his dreadful deed – regardless of colour.

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