SPAIN is 'much closer' to forming a government at last following meetings between the PSOE and left-wing independents Podemos.
The latter's leader, Pablo Iglesias, has even said he would be prepared to not form part of the cabinet if it is he himself who is standing in the way.
Iglesias said he would be 'willing to give way' over some of his key proposals, including the fiscal reform, increase in public spending and relaxing the rules over the State deficit.
“We're prepared to talk about things and even accept proposals that we're not particularly enthusiastic about,” Podemos' leader reveals.
“When you negotiate in politics, you have to be prepared to give in a little. Our programme is a good starting point, in our view, but we're willing to make concessions – although it can't just be one party to the deal who does so; everyone has to.”
He presented PSOE leader Pedro Sánchez Castejón with a list of these concessions.
They include 'reducing the State debt at a greater pace' than Iglesias initially wanted; 'accepting a tax reform which is less distribution-based'; 'increase public spending by €60 billion rather than €90bn', and to scrap the 'most recent' labour reform – the one brought in by PP leader Mariano Rajoy's government, but not the previous one applied by the socialists when they were led by ex-president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
“I would agree not to be a member of the future cabinet if this would help create a 'Valencian-style' coalition,” Iglesias said, referring to the regional government in the eastern provinces which is made up of the PSOE, Podemos and the left-wing party Compromís.
But Iglesias does not envisage Podemos being part of a government which includes Ciudadanos – and Ciudadanos has already said it will not work with Podemos.
Podemos, however, is now ready to agree to three-way talks with Ciudadanos and the socialists.
Iglesias said his desire to allow a referendum on independence in Catalunya was 'no longer a red line', but that instead the best way forward would be to start talks between the regional socialist party and Podemos' Catalunya faction, En Comú Podem, to seek a solution to the 'territorial crisis' in the region.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com