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PSOE publishes measures to form new Spanish government

Xinhua, February 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) on Monday published a list of measures which they pledge to implement with urgency if they are able to form a working government in Spain in the coming weeks.

Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez is currently in his second week of talks with other political parties in Spain as he looks to build a workable coalition to control Spain's 350-seat congress.

No party won an overall majority in the general election on Dec. 20, 2015. Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, whose party won the election but fell short of a majority, failed in his attempt to form a coalition government.

To form a new government, PSOE, whose votes came second in the election, has proposed to overturn the labor reform passed by Rajoy's Popular Party government in February 2012, which made it cheaper for companies to sack workers.

The PSOE also aims to "approve an action plan" to reduce the 4,150,247 people registered as unemployed at the end of January, "by half during the mandate," while also acting to reduce the high levels of youth unemployment in Spain.

Sanchez also promises a reform of the Spanish tax system and an end to fiscal amnesties as part of a new policy aimed at combatting tax fraud. Sanchez's Party also plans to reduce the public deficit to around 1 percent of Spain's gross national product by 2019.

The PSOE also pledges to ban fracking, pass a law to combat climate change and promote the use of renewable energies.

The leader of the United Left party, Alberto Garzon, whom the PSOE hopes to include in a future pact to form a coalition government, said the PSOE measures were "positive," and that he was "hopeful" of being able to secure a deal with the Socialists.

Sanchez will continue his meetings with other party leaders and hopes to meet Rajoy on Wednesday. Endit