Sanchez leadership bid stumbles as political deadlock drags on
Spain's Socialist Party (PSOE) leader Pedro Sanchez attends an investiture debate at parliament in Madrid, Spain, March 2, 2016. REUTERS/Andrea Comas,
02 of March 2016 12:47:58
MADRID — A leadership bid by Spanish Socialist head Pedro Sanchez looked set to stumble at the first hurdle on Wednesday, as rivals on the left and right ripped into his plans for a coalition at a session of parliament and said they would vote against it.Spain has made little headway in resolving a political deadlock since a fragmented election result in December, when voters turned in their millions to anti-austerity Podemos ('We Can') and newcomer liberal party Ciudadanos ('Citizens').An acrimonious debate in parliament on Wednesday, ahead of a vote on Sanchez's plan to team up with Ciudadanos, suggested parties were little closer to putting their differences aside.Leaders skimmed over policy issues with a volley of recriminations over who was to blame for the deadlock."This is a fictitious, unreal candidature," acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of the centre-right People's Party (PP) told members of parliament, adding his party would vote against it.
"This is a fictitious, unreal candidature."Mariano Rajoy, Acting Prime Minister, SpainRajoy branded the alliance, with just 130 seats behind it, as a "bluff" and a threat to national interests which sought only to undo the reforms his government brought in over the past four years.Sanchez, whose Socialists were runners-up behind the PP in the Dec. 20 ballot, needs an absolute majority — equivalent to 176 votes — to be elected prime minister on Wednesday.His failure would set the clock ticking on a two-month window for parties to try and negotiate a majority in parliament, beyond which a new national election would be called, probably in June.Even natural allies are still divided on many fronts, at a time when Spain's economic turnaround still needs nurturing, notably to fix a dysfunctional labor market in which unemployment is above 20 percent.Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias said his party would also vote against Sanchez — spurning his offer of immediate measures to alleviate social inequalities — and push instead for an alliance only between leftist forces."Your pact does not protect workers," Iglesias said, accusing Sanchez of aligning with the right.[caption id="attachment_3264" align="alignright" width="300"]
"You're not a credible (person) to lead this new political phase."Albert Rivera, President, CiudadanosIf Sanchez fails in the vote on Wednesday, he would only need to secure the most votes in a second ballot on Friday. But that scenario is unlikely too as the PP and Podemos together command 192 seats.No candidate for prime minister has failed in both confidence votes since Spain returned to democracy in the mid-1970s.
BY SARAH WHITE
AND BLANCA RODRIGUEZ