Spain's Socialists rule out support for conservative govt

Madrid [Spain], July 27: Following the conservative People's Party's (PP) victory in the parliamentary elections in Spain, the Socialists (PSOE), headed by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, have ruled out supporting a PP-led government.
Presidential Minister Felix Bolaños stated on Wednesday in Madrid that it is also "completely impossible" for PSOE lawmakers to vote in favour of the PP's lead candidate Alberto NúñezFeijoo in parliament, contrary to the party's line, as speculated by the media earlier.
While the PP won the election on Sunday, it fell significantly short of the absolute majority with 136 seats out of the required 176 seats. The only party that has hinted at supporting a candidacy by Feijoo for the position of prime minister is the right-wing populist Vox. However, even with Vox's 33 seats, it would not be enough to form a government.
On Tuesday, Feijoo urged the PSOE to guarantee "stability" in the EU's fourth-largest economy, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency until the end of the year, by supporting a government led by him, the winner of the election.
Bolaños responded that the PP had been "insulting and spreading lies" about the Socialists and other parties for an extended period, leading to the conservatives' current state of being "terribly isolated."
The Socialists obtained 122 seats on Sunday. Their prospects of forming a government are also very low. They would also need an agreement with the Junts party, led by the Catalan separatist leader CarlesPuigdemont, who is in exile in Brussels.
Source: Qatar Tribune