Majority in Spain would favour centre-left coalition

A majority of Spaniards would favour a coalition government led by the Socialist party and market-friendly newcomer Ciudadanos, according to a poll published by El País yesterday as Spain’s political deadlock continues.

Spain has yet to form a government seven weeks after an inconclusive December 20 election in which no party won enough votes to govern. Newer parties, particularly the anti-austerity Podemos and the liberal Ciudadanos, grabbed votes from mainstream rivals.

A coalition led by the Socialists and Ciudadanos is supported by 51% of Spaniards according to the poll of 1,000 people, carried out shortly after Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez was given a mandate by the King Felipe last Tuesday to try to form a government.

The Socialists started talks to form a coalition on Wednesday, a task seen as impossible unless several political parties drop some conditions.

Sanchez was formally nominated to try to replace the centre-right People’s Party (PP), which won most votes in the election, but acting prime minister Mariano Rajoy deferred a parliamentary confidence vote on a new government as he lacked the support to win it.