Spain’s king wraps up talks on snapping political stalemate

Spain’s King Felipe has nominated the head of the country Socialist Worker Party, Pedro Sanchez to lead talks with political parties to form a government, the speaker of the lower house Patxi Lopez announced on Tuesday.

The king on Tuesday finalized an unprecedented second round of consultations to propose a candidate to attempt to form a government after acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on January 22 declined his offer because he calculated that he could not win a confidence vote in Parliament.

“The socialist party rises to the challenge with Spain so that the citizens of this country can have a government more than 40 days after the election and that rules through dialogue and for the benefit of all”, Sanchez told a news conference.

Under Spain’s constitution, a two-month deadline for the formation of a government comes into effect once a candidate seeks a parliamentary confidence vote.

He repeated his wish to create a coalition with the Socialist party and business-friendly Ciudadanos party, but accused the Socialists of refusing to negotiate.

Sanchez also said he would open talks with all parties if appointed by the king although he would not actively seek the backing of forces that favor an independence of Catalonia from Spain.

Negotiating a governing deal won’t be easy for Sanchez.

The Socialists are strongly opposed to permitting separatists from holding a secession referendum.

Sanchez, 43, was a given a chance to govern after outgoing prime minister Mariano Rajoy admitted he had no majority in the parliament.

“Pedro Sanchez has tried to sell a government agreement with Podemos and Ciudadanos”.

Meanwhile, Rajoy has commented: “There are three options: ours (PP, PSOE and Ciudadanos), PSOE and “the radicals” (Podemos and independent parties) which I don’t think is good for Spain and new elections which is not something we want”. AP material published by LongIsland.com, isdone so with explicit permission. This includes the preparation of derivative works of, or the incorporation of such content intoother works. That could see more fragmentation and a chronic weakening of the two-party system and even, warn some, see regions breaking away from Madrid.