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| Spanish elections: Mariano Rajoy moves to build coalition | Spanish elections: Mariano Rajoy moves to build coalition |
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| Spain’s acting prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, has announced that he will try to build a coalition government after the country’s second election in six months once again produced a hung parliament. | Spain’s acting prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, has announced that he will try to build a coalition government after the country’s second election in six months once again produced a hung parliament. |
| Rajoy’s conservative People’s party (PP) won 137 seats on Sunday, followed by the socialists with 85 seats, the far-left Unidos Podemos coalition with 71, and the centrist Ciudadanos party with 32. | Rajoy’s conservative People’s party (PP) won 137 seats on Sunday, followed by the socialists with 85 seats, the far-left Unidos Podemos coalition with 71, and the centrist Ciudadanos party with 32. |
| Although the PP won 14 more seats than in the December poll, it again fell well short of the 176 seats needed to secure a majority in the country’s 350-seat congress of deputies. | Although the PP won 14 more seats than in the December poll, it again fell well short of the 176 seats needed to secure a majority in the country’s 350-seat congress of deputies. |
| On Monday, Rajoy said he would attempt “some kind of government formula”, telling Cope radio he was ruling nothing out when it came to finding the necessary support. | On Monday, Rajoy said he would attempt “some kind of government formula”, telling Cope radio he was ruling nothing out when it came to finding the necessary support. |
| He said his first call would be to the socialist PSOE party, who confounded recent opinion polls by easily seeing off a challenge from Unidos Podemos, which had been forecast to eclipse it as Spain’s biggest leftwing party. | He said his first call would be to the socialist PSOE party, who confounded recent opinion polls by easily seeing off a challenge from Unidos Podemos, which had been forecast to eclipse it as Spain’s biggest leftwing party. |
| Rajoy said it was only right that the Spanish people should have chosen to vote the PP and PSOE into first and second places given their leading roles in transforming the country over the past 40 years. | Rajoy said it was only right that the Spanish people should have chosen to vote the PP and PSOE into first and second places given their leading roles in transforming the country over the past 40 years. |
| Despite the blandishments, however, the approach is unlikely to work. The PSOE leader, Pedro Sánchez, has repeatedly ruled out a deal with the PP as long as Rajoy is in charge, and used his speech late on Sunday night to blast the conservatives for the impact that their austerity measures have had on Spanish society. | Despite the blandishments, however, the approach is unlikely to work. The PSOE leader, Pedro Sánchez, has repeatedly ruled out a deal with the PP as long as Rajoy is in charge, and used his speech late on Sunday night to blast the conservatives for the impact that their austerity measures have had on Spanish society. |
| On Monday a spokesman for the Socialists said the party had ruled out supporting Rajoy’s re-election “by action or omission”, adding that the PSOE regarded the votes it had won as a mandate to fight the PP’s “unfair, ineffective and antisocial policies”. | On Monday a spokesman for the Socialists said the party had ruled out supporting Rajoy’s re-election “by action or omission”, adding that the PSOE regarded the votes it had won as a mandate to fight the PP’s “unfair, ineffective and antisocial policies”. |
| Rajoy’s best chance may now be to try to build a coalition with Albert Rivera’s Ciudadanos, which had a disappointing election, taking eight fewer seats than last time. Between them they have 169 seats, but they could pick up another six from regional parties in the Canary Islands and the Basque country. | Rajoy’s best chance may now be to try to build a coalition with Albert Rivera’s Ciudadanos, which had a disappointing election, taking eight fewer seats than last time. Between them they have 169 seats, but they could pick up another six from regional parties in the Canary Islands and the Basque country. |
| The biggest upset of Sunday night was Unidos Podemos’s failure to pull off the much-anticipated coup of beating the PSOE into second place. | |
| Podemos’s strong showing last December – finishing first in Catalonia, where it ran in a coalition with Barcelona en Comú, and the Basque country – had led its leader, Pablo Iglesias, to declare at the time that the era of PP and PSOE domination was over, saying: “Spain is not going to be the same any more and we are very happy.” | Podemos’s strong showing last December – finishing first in Catalonia, where it ran in a coalition with Barcelona en Comú, and the Basque country – had led its leader, Pablo Iglesias, to declare at the time that the era of PP and PSOE domination was over, saying: “Spain is not going to be the same any more and we are very happy.” |
| In the run-up to the vote, the party seemed to have capitalised on growing disenchantment with the traditional political behemoths as Spain emerges slowly from its economic crisis but still struggles with an unemployment rate of 21% and youth unemployment of 45%. Its position has also been strengthened by the proliferation of corruption scandals that has tarnished the PP in recent years. | In the run-up to the vote, the party seemed to have capitalised on growing disenchantment with the traditional political behemoths as Spain emerges slowly from its economic crisis but still struggles with an unemployment rate of 21% and youth unemployment of 45%. Its position has also been strengthened by the proliferation of corruption scandals that has tarnished the PP in recent years. |
| But despite the initial confidence provoked by two exit polls putting it comfortably in second place, Unidos Podemos came nowhere near the predicted sorpasso, or overtaking, of the PSOE. Its recent decision to run on a joint ticket with United Left (IU), the leftwing coalition that includes the Communist party of Spain, had not borne the expected fruit. | But despite the initial confidence provoked by two exit polls putting it comfortably in second place, Unidos Podemos came nowhere near the predicted sorpasso, or overtaking, of the PSOE. Its recent decision to run on a joint ticket with United Left (IU), the leftwing coalition that includes the Communist party of Spain, had not borne the expected fruit. |
| Speaking at a press conference as the final results came in, Iglesias was subdued as he acknowledged that his party had fallen well short of expectations. “There’s no doubt that what we have done over the past two years has been historic and unprecedented in the history of our country,” he said. “But it’s also true that we were expecting different results tonight.” | Speaking at a press conference as the final results came in, Iglesias was subdued as he acknowledged that his party had fallen well short of expectations. “There’s no doubt that what we have done over the past two years has been historic and unprecedented in the history of our country,” he said. “But it’s also true that we were expecting different results tonight.” |
| Proffering an olive branch to the socialist leader, Pedro Sánchez, he added: “It’s time to reflect and, of course, it’s time to focus on dialogue between the progressive political forces.” | Proffering an olive branch to the socialist leader, Pedro Sánchez, he added: “It’s time to reflect and, of course, it’s time to focus on dialogue between the progressive political forces.” |
| But Sánchez, whose attempts to form a coalition government earlier this year were thwarted by Podemos, was exultant rather than emollient after his party had seen off its rivals. “They had the chance to vote for a progressive government led by the socialist party,” he said. “It was within their power to put an end to the government of Mariano Rajoy that has done so much damage to the middle and working classes with its cuts and its policies.” | But Sánchez, whose attempts to form a coalition government earlier this year were thwarted by Podemos, was exultant rather than emollient after his party had seen off its rivals. “They had the chance to vote for a progressive government led by the socialist party,” he said. “It was within their power to put an end to the government of Mariano Rajoy that has done so much damage to the middle and working classes with its cuts and its policies.” |
| Instead, he said, they had put “intransigence and personal interest” before the political needs of the left. Sánchez went on: “Despite the extraordinary difficulties that we’ve had to overcome in the socialist party, despite the predictions that persistently declared a strong decline for the party and the loss of our relevance to the collective life of our country, the socialist party has once again reaffirmed its position as the hegemonic party of the left.” | Instead, he said, they had put “intransigence and personal interest” before the political needs of the left. Sánchez went on: “Despite the extraordinary difficulties that we’ve had to overcome in the socialist party, despite the predictions that persistently declared a strong decline for the party and the loss of our relevance to the collective life of our country, the socialist party has once again reaffirmed its position as the hegemonic party of the left.” |
| The horsetrading may have begun on Monday morning, but it will be a month before the Spanish parliament convenes for a confidence vote in whichever candidate is proposed following consultations between political leaders and King Felipe VI. | The horsetrading may have begun on Monday morning, but it will be a month before the Spanish parliament convenes for a confidence vote in whichever candidate is proposed following consultations between political leaders and King Felipe VI. |
| If the candidate wins more than half the necessary 350 votes, they will receive the confidence of the congress of deputies. If not, another vote will be held 48 hours later in which the candidate again needs 50%, but at a lower threshold as parties are allowed to abstain as they see fit. | If the candidate wins more than half the necessary 350 votes, they will receive the confidence of the congress of deputies. If not, another vote will be held 48 hours later in which the candidate again needs 50%, but at a lower threshold as parties are allowed to abstain as they see fit. |
| Should no candidate attract the necessary majority within two months, Spain could face a third general election. | Should no candidate attract the necessary majority within two months, Spain could face a third general election. |