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Socialist leader Sanchez starts talks to form new Spanish gov't

Xinhua, February 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) leader Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday began talks with Spanish political parties with the aim of being able to form a government.

Sanchez began his talks after he was nominated as the candidate to form a government by King Felipe VI after Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy admitted he lacked the support to do so.

Sanchez met with the leaders of United Left, Cayo Lara and Alberto Garzon, as well as two deputies from the Canary Islands and Compromis spokespeople Monica Oltra and Joan Baldovi.

The PSOE leader will then meet Albert Rivera, the leader of center-right party Citizens, on Thursday and Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias on Friday.

The PSOE won 90 seats in the December 20 general election in Spain, becoming the second largest party behind Rajoy's Peoples Party (PP) and will need 176 votes to hold a majority in the 350-seat Congress.

"Spain can be governed by moderation and dialogue, presenting progressive and reformist policies, which is what we Socialists believe in," Sanchez told parliament Wednesday. He asked other parties in Congress to "leave behind the vetoes and political fronts and start to speak about what unites us."

Sanchez said that on December 20 "millions of Spaniards voted for change from different political parties."

In theory, Sanchez will have to reach agreement with Podemos and Citizens, both of whom have said they will not form a government containing the other party, while Citizens are also opposed to any Basque or Catalan nationalist parties forming part of a coalition.

He could govern with the support of Podemos and the remaining minority parties in Congress, but that would be a shaky foundation for a new government.

"I publicly ask the forces in favor of change to reach agreement with us so that change can become reality," said the Socialist leader, adding his party represented "hope, responsibility, convictions and generosity." Endit