• Demands include Pablo Iglesias oversight of key ministerial functions •
Spain’s new-left, anti-austerity party Podemos appeared determined Monday to torpedo chances for a progressive coalition government led by the Socialist (PSOE) party by again calling for an independence referenduum in Catalonia already rejected by PSOE and demanding a first Vice-Presidency for party leader Pablo Iglesias with extraordinary government responsibilities.
Presenting a lengthy document outlining Podemos’ demands for sealing a coalition deal, Iglesias vetoed his party’s participation in any accord with centre-right party Ciudadanos and called for the creation of three new ministries, including one that would oversee a restructuring of the Spanish state along “pluri-national” lines. He also claimed for himself as first Vice-President oversight of Spain’s communications infrastructure, police and intelligence agencies, relations with other parties in Congress and with the regional governments of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities.
The immediate response from PSOE was incredulity, with party spokesman Antonio Hernando telling a press conference that Iglesias’ proposals “show he doesn’t know what stage he’s at or what his role should be” as PSOE leader Pedro Sanchez seeks to carry out a mandate to form a coalition government.
► Read the Full Story in Spanish at Expansión and El País…
► Read the Full Story in English at at El País and The Spain Report…
► UPDATE: PSOE CALLS FOR URGENT MEETING TUESDAY WITH PODEMOS …
