The Spanish Left at War
Spain's Socialist premier Pedro Sánchez has refused to grant top cabinet jobs to the radical left party Podemos. And as Spain faces another general election, Podemos faces a tough battle against division and marginalization.
Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias (L) hugs former party member Juan Carlos Monedero (R) during the final rally ahead of Spanish general elections on June 24, 2016 in Madrid, Spain. (Pablo Blazquez Dominguez / Getty Images)
Spain will head to the polls for the fourth time in four years on November 10 after Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Party (PSOE) turned its back on a left-wing coalition with radical Unidas Podemos.
Running on a platform of left-wing cooperation in last April’s general election, the PSOE secured a six-point victory over its nearest rivals. Yet unwilling to govern against the country’s economic elites or ruffle feathers among the European powers, Sánchez, the current acting prime minister, preferred fresh elections to seeking a deal with Unidas Podemos.
As the election was called, Sánchez claimed “96 percent of Spaniards” would have felt anxious with Podemos ministers in the cabinet, adding: “Today I could be head of a [permanent] government but I would not be able to sleep at night.”
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