Spain’s king opens talks to break political impasse

Spain’s King Felipe VI began meeting parliamentary leaders Monday in an eleventh-hour bid to form a government and head off what would be the country’s fourth elections in as many years.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialists won elections in April but only secured 123 of the parliament’s 350 seats, leaving him dependent on support from the radical leftwing Podemos and several smaller regional parties.

Until now, Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias has refused to back Sanchez who only has until September 23 to be confirmed as premier or face fresh elections on November 10.

In a bid to break the deadlock, the king began two days of talks with party leaders. He will meet Iglesias on Tuesday afternoon and Sanchez later that evening.

During the day, one potential solution was raised by the centre-right Ciudadanos, which laid out its conditions for abstaining from any vote of confidence which would enable Sanchez to be confirmed without requiring the support of Podemos.

Until now, the business-friendly party led by Albert Rivera has refused to extend any support to Sanchez.

Speaking on Spanish television, Rivera proposed that both Ciudadanos and the rightwing Popular Party jointly abstain during any investiture vote.

In exchange, he said, Sanchez must agree not to pardon 12 Catalan separatist leaders who led a failed 2017 bid for independence, triggering Spain’s worst political crisis in decades.

Spain’s Supreme Court is to rule on the case next month.

Rivera also asked Sanchez not to hike taxes.

– No ‘temporary coalition’ –

Back in July, Sanchez made two attempts to secure confirmation by the assembly but failed due to the dispute with Iglesias, which they have yet to resolve.

The Socialists had initially agreed, very reluctantly, to form a coalition with Podemos, offering it several government portfolios, but Iglesias refused, saying the posts did not carry enough political clout.

Now Sanchez has taken the offer of a coalition off the table, offering only talks on a joint policy programme.

Iglesias has insisted on Podemos entering government but faced with Sanchez’s intransigence, he has suggested a “temporary coalition” only for the proposal to be dismissed out of hand by a government spokeswoman.

Spain has been gripped by political instability since the traditional two-party system collapsed in the elections of December 2015 with the emergence of Podemos and business-friendly Ciudadanos, sparking deep divisions.

April’s election further complicated the political picture with the entry into parliament of far-right upstart Vox.