Europe
12:45, 30-Apr-2019
What next for Spain? Socialists mull governing alone
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After three elections in four years, Spain is searching for a new government. Sunday's poll, in which five parties won significant numbers of seats, provided no easy answers.
The Socialist Party increased its seat share in Sunday's election but fell 53 short of a majority.
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With 123 seats in the 350-member parliament and 29 percent of the vote, the party had been expected to attempt to enter negotiations with potential coalition partners, but a senior figure indicated on Monday that it could try to govern alone.
As the dust settles on the election, what are the options for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez?
A minority government
Deputy Prime Minister Carmen Calvo on Monday suggested a minority government would be pursued, and given the challenges posed by all the majority coalition options (see below), it should not be ruled out.
"The Socialists will try to govern on their own," Calvo said in an interview with Cadena Ser radio, according to AFP. "We have more than enough (votes) to steer this ship along the course it must follow."
In this scenario, the Socialists who have governed as a minority since June would attempt to form alliances on a case-by-case basis, boosted by an extra 39 seats after a strong performance on Sunday. Sanchez's party was the clear winner on election night, but governing with just 29 percent of the vote would be a test.
A new government must be confirmed by a confidence vote in parliament: The first round requires a full majority. If that fails, a simple majority is sufficient.
The Socialists could alternatively be eyeing an alliance with the far-left Podemos, which won 42 seats, and governing 11 short of a majority. To pass the confidence vote in parliament and subsequent legislation, Sanchez would still need the support of smaller parties however.
A majority coalition
The Socialists and Podemos would need to link up with smaller regional parties, including Catalan separatists, to form a majority coalition.
This poses a problem: Sanchez called Sunday's elections after Catalan separatists refused to vote for his 2019 budget. And while Sanchez has worked with separatist parties, he has categorically ruled out an independence referendum.
The Socialists could alternatively team up with the center-right Ciudadanos, which won 57 seats, but the parties clashed repeatedly on the campaign trail and supporters are unlikely to be keen.
Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera and deputy leader Ines Arrimadas have already indicated they would not ally with Sanchez, and Socialist supporters chanted "Not with Rivera" during Sanchez's victory speech on Sunday.
An election
If a minority government or a majority coalition is ultimately deemed unworkable, the only option would be another election.
But with another set of polls – municipal, regional and European – due to take place in late May, no firm decisions are likely to be taken soon.