In Spain, the Socialist Party and Podemos agree to form a government

The PSOE has opted for an alliance with Podemos. The Socialist Party of outgoing Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the radical left-wing Podemos have sealed an agreement in principle to form a coalition government, announced Tuesday, November 12, Pedro Sanchez and the leader of Podemos.

A government composed of these two formations, which had failed to agree a few months ago, however, will require the support of other forces to be invested by the Chamber of Deputies after the legislative elections on Sunday. If it is invested, this government will end months of political paralysis in the fourth economy of the euro area.

The experience of the PSOE and the courage of Podemos

"We have reached a pre-agreement to form a progressive coalition government (...) combining the experience of the PSOE (Socialist Party) and the courage of Podemos" and which will be "the best vaccine against the extreme right" of Vox, said the number one Podemos, Pablo Iglesias.

The joint program and the distribution of posts will be fixed in "the coming weeks", he added. "This is an agreement for four years, for the legislature," said his side Pedro Sanchez.

"There is no reason for a new blockage, we call on the responsibility and generosity of all political formations" to allow the inauguration of such a government, "Spain needs 'a stable government,' he added.

The Socialists and Podemos have together 155 deputies while the majority of the room is set at 176 votes out of 350.

Ciudadanos support?

The Socialists hope to secure the support of the liberals of Ciudadanos, who collapsed on Sunday and now have 10 deputies against 57 at the end of April, and other small parties, which would allow them not to depend on the support of the separatists Catalans with 23 seats in Parliament.

The PSOE and Podemos had failed to agree to form a joint government after the last elections in April, which had made it inevitable to convene new legislative elections on Sunday.

The poll, which saw the Socialists and Podemos retreat, was marked by a leap Vox ultranational training has become the third political force in the country.

With AFP