'Podemos is asking for too much, too early,' political analyst tells Euronews

'Podemos is asking for too much, too early,' political analyst tells Euronews
By Euronews
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"I would say Podemos is asking for too much, too early. Let's not forget they do not have any experience in government yet."

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Spain could be heading back to the polls for the fourth time in as many years after Pedro Sanchez failed again to win parliament's backing to be confirmed as prime minister.

His Socialist party won the April election but fell short of a majority.

Despite three months of talks, it hasn't managed to reach a deal on forming a coalition with the far-left Podemos party.

The negotiations became deadlocked on the question of what role and what power Podemos would have in a new government. Each side accused the other of negotiating in bad faith.

Carlos Carnicero Urabayen is a political analyst based in Brussels. He said he can understand why Mr Sanchez is not willing to form a government at any cost.

"He won the elections, he got the biggest number of votes," he told Euronews. "Podemos is a declining force in Spain and let's not forget there are the fourth [biggest] party in the congress.

"I can see the point in the acting prime minister [Sanchez] putting some red lines when it comes to forming his own cabinet because he needs trust and needs to be ready to deliver with that government for hopefully the next four years.

"I would say Podemos is asking for too much, too early. Let's not forget they do not have any experience in government yet. 

"So there's some risk Sanchez would take with a cabinet with lots of Podemos ministers in his cabinet so I can understand his position as being cautious."

He added forming a coalition is not the only way of preventing a general election.

"We have seen minority governments in Spain before ... we shouldn't be obsessed with the idea of a coalition government with Podemos being the only possibility for a government in Spain," he said.

Sanchez now has to decide whether to try and get parliament's backing again in September or call an election.

Watch Carlos Carnicero Urabayen's full interview in the video player, above.

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