Last December, for the first time since the re-establishment of democracy in 1977, Spain’s general election failed to produce a working majority. The Socialist Party (PSOE) and the conservative Popular Party (PP) — the two parties that have dominated Spanish politics for thirty-four years — saw their combined vote drop from 84 percent in 2008 to 73 percent in 2011 to 51 percent in 2015. Two new political forces, Podemos on the Left and the new “center” party Ciudadanos, took 35 percent of the vote between them.

The results left only two real options: a coalition between the PP and PSOE, or a left government formed with the PSOE, Podemos, the Communist Party-led United Left (IU), and other forces. PSOE found a third way: they formed a “government of change” with Ciudadanos.

But Podemos refused to support the coalition or even abstain, making the proposed majority coalition impossible. New elections were called for June 26.