Spain heading for fourth general election in four years

SPAIN looks to be heading for its fourth general election in four years after talks between the acting Prime Minister’s centre-left PSOE party and the far-left Unidos Podemos failed to break the current political impasse.

On Tuesday the two sides’ negotiating teams confirmed discussions on securing the investiture of Pedro Sanchez as Prime Minister had broken down and that there were no immediate plans for talks to continue.

Speaking in Congress today, Wednesday, Sanchez urged the main opposition figures to bring the deadlock to an end and allow the formation of a “progressive” government which would be able to carry out the “major transformations” which Spain needs and which he said needed to be based on consensus.

PSOE won more votes than any other party in the April election, but with just 29 per cent did not gain an absolute majority. A PSOE-Podemos coalition would, with the support of smaller parties, mean Sanchez could expect to be confirmed in office.

Sanchez wants the two parties to agree a common programme, but does not want to give Podemos any ministries. There is now a situation of distrust between the two sides, and Podemos maintains PSOE is stuck on the idea of forming a government on its own.

If Sanchez is not able by September 23 to gain sufficient votes in parliament to form a new government voters will have to go back to the polls on November 10.