Spain political parties reluctant about coalition: Analyst

Press TV has interviewed Lajos Szaszdi, a political commentator in San Juan, to discuss the possibility of a coalition government in Spain.

Press TV: First of all, what do you make of this decision by Podemos to not go into coalition with the Socialists?

Szaszdi: It is a form to pressure the socialist party to make coalition instead of Ciudadanos [Party] which translates into citizens-- instead of making a coalition with the center-right party of Citizens to make it with Podemos, which is far to the left than the Socialist party. I would even say that Podemos is sort of a new communist party, but we have an agenda to carry out social reforms.

So the idea would be, I suppose, that since Podemos has warned that they would vote against this proposal to form a coalition government between the Socialists and Citizens, there is going to be a vote tomorrow; there is going to be a second vote on Friday if the one tomorrow does not go through for this coalition of Socialists and Citizens and if the vote on Friday does not go through, then there will even be a matter if a working government cannot be made for new elections in June.

And many parties are waiting and hoping, several like the Popular party, the center-right party, there was the ruling party that is now governing until new government appears. The Popular party hopes to win votes in the June vote and new elections in June if no working government can be made before that, and the Podemos probably also is betting on winning more votes at the expense of probably the Socialists in June.

Press TV: Have the steps taken by Podemos in these past few months increased its popularity because, as you just mentioned, it is banking on getting more votes through these measures?

Szaszdi: Well, that is the tricky thing, because a large segment of the population that could vote for Podemos I would say are the Youths – those young Spaniards who are younger than 30 years old and they cannot find a job. It is only like 20, 21 percent of the youths younger than 30 have been able to find a job and leave their parents’ home and only 16 per cent have been able to do it on their own without any help. So those could vote for Podemos. Or at the same time it is a tricky thing because look at the leader of the Socialists Pedro Sanchez; he is a young politician and younger still, or looks younger anyway, is Albert Rivera, the leader of Citizens.

So it could have been that electorate that voted for Podemos, and I would say they voted for Podemos out of desperation. It was about a protest. I think that is the main point we have to remember of this last election on December 20, that even though the Popular party says they won in majority, but in reality we have to count and consider those parties that were not the Popular party.

What I mean is the majority of Spaniards voted for parties opposed to the Popular party, voted for parties opposed to [Prime Minister] Mariano Rajoy, the acting president of the Spanish government. They hate him; they do not him in power.

So it could be that those that voted for Podemos, there is a recent poll on February 20, the newspaper El Mondo which translates into like “The World.” According to that poll and of course we know that polls can change, there would be an election these days, Citizens would win 10 more seats, like they have now 40, they would win 50. Podemos would lose from 69 they have now back to 60. Popular party will lose 4 seats from 123 to a 119 and the Socialist would win like 3 votes I think, from 90 seats they have now in the lower house of the Spanish Parliament to 93. Still that doesn’t give for a future coalition.

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