As Spaniards continue to wonder what their government will look like, Podemos has finally made a proposal which would shut the door on the conservatives.
Its leader, Pablo Iglesias, said that he had informed King Felipe VI of the party’s “desire to form a government of change with the Socialists and United Left”.
In such a left-leaning governing alliance, he would seek the post of deputy prime minister.
Anti-austerity Podemos took third place in December’s inconclusive election which saw the governing Popular Party gain the most seats with 119 but short of the 176 needed for an absolute majority.
Until now Podemos had not said if it would enter an alliance with the Socialists.
The Socialists are also being wooed by the Popular Party whose leader, Mariano Rajoy, has called for a “grand coalition” of the two parties along with the centre-right Ciudadanos which gained 40 seats.
Only Ciudadanos has implied it would support the Popular Party, but their combined force would still be shy of a majority.
The Socialists have rejected an alliance with the conservative Popular Party.
The Spanish king has been meeting this week with the leaders of the leading parties, but there does not appear yet to be a working resolution.
Comments
One illustration of this, again identical to Portugal's - is how to address the wishes of the relatives of those killed, tortured, maimed and / or dispossessed in the Spanish Civil War 80 years ago. Wanting to know more about how their non-combatant loved one's died so pointlessly - but still being ignored.
Portugal's being far more sinister; its Dictators more recent secret war against anyone seen as a 'troublemaker'. Denied any chance of a fair trial as with the spokeswomen of the Left Block,catarina Martins Great Uncle. A Doctor, helping the poor, machine gunned in his doorway by Salazar's Secret Police. These are still demons that lurk in so many Iberian families minds.