• Podemos says PSOE-Ciudadanos inflexible, PSOE claims deal was possible •
The window of opportunity to form a progressive coalition government for Spain has now virtually closed, following the decision announced by anti-austerity party Podemos to walk away from tri-party talks with the Socialists (PSOE) and centre-right Ciudadanos. The Podemos pull-out makes it all but certain that Congress will be unable to choose a new President by a May 2nd deadline, triggering a second round of general election balloting on June 26th.
Podemos’ claim in a press conference Friday that the breakdown of negotiations was caused by the unwillingness of PSOE and Ciudadanos to consider 20 policy points presented by Podemos has been countered by the Socialists, who made public a letter sent to Podemos in which chief PSOE negotiator Antonio Hernandez said the Socialists were prepared to negotiate on 17 of the 20 points — including a restructuring of Spain’s foreign debt repayment program, one of the principal Podemos demands in the 2015 general election.
The Podemos leadership have called a kind of mock referendum among members for this weekend on whether the anti-austerity party should reach a deal with PSOE and Ciudadanos — even though there is no negotiated deal on the table to consider. All parties have now embarked upon a blame game in the Spanish press, each hoping to pin responsibility on the other for their inability to put together sufficient votes in Congress to form a new government and for subjecting Spanish voters to the likelihood of a second general election campaign within six months.
► Read More in Spanish at El Confidencial and El País …
► Read More in English at The Local and Reuters …
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