Two days after the parliamentary re-election in Spain, the Socialists (PSOE) of the Executive Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the Left Alliance Unidas Podemos (UP) have reached a preliminary agreement. Sanchez and UP leader Pablo Iglesias today signed an agreement on the formation of a coalition government. Spain’s media reported that Iglesias was appointed deputy prime minister.
It is a „promising“ agreement for a progressive government, Sanchez said. He had said shortly after the vote on Sunday that he would submit proposals for an end to the political blockade in Madrid within 48 hours.
Both groups come in the 350-member „Congreso de los Diputados“, however, only 155 seats (PSOE 120 seats, UP 35 seats). Together they are still a long way away from the absolute majority of 176 seats and needed the support of other parties to form a government. Sanchez had refused for months after the first election at the end of April for a coalition with Unidas Podemos. At that time, both parties still had ten seats more.
