Spain edging towards Socialist-led coalition as negotiations begin

[Ghost Dog]

A Socialist-led coalition is shaping up to be the most likely to rule Spain as rival politicians laid down ground rules on Monday ahead of what are expected to be marathon political negotiations needed to form the country’s next government... (W)ith leftwing parties holding the balance of power in Spain’s parliament, the result is likely to mirror recent political events in Portugal, where the conservatives won the October election but fell to a socialist government backed by leftist parties just days later...

... In the coming days and weeks, King Felipe VI, who took over from his embattled father last year, will reach out to all parties to hear their positions and name the party that will have the chance to try and form a government. If the candidate fails to obtain an absolute majority, followed by a simple majority in a vote of confidence, the king must put forward a new candidate. If no government is formed within two months, new elections must be held.

On Monday morning, as many in Spain waded through the potential scenarios, the Socialist party ruled out any possibility of backing the PP. “The Socialists will vote no to Rajoy. We’re going to vote no to the PP,” said César Luena, one of the party’s senior officials. ..

... Anti-austerity party Podemos, which won 69 seats and 21% of the vote, said it would also block any attempt by Rajoy to form a government. “On no account will Podemos allow the PP to govern,” the leader, Pablo Iglesias, told reporters on Monday, ruling out the possibility of even abstaining during the vote of confidence. “The PP cannot form part of the future government of this country,” said Iglesias...

/... http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/21/spain-edging-towards-socialist-led-coalition-negotiations-begin

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Notice a trend happening

across the Globe. Anti Austerity is on the move. Spain,Portugal,Greece,France,Canada and someday the USA.

[Gregorian]

2. There is a lot of big shifting going on. I doubt it's any meaningful democratic socialism though.

I'm not sure a decent socialist system has been set up yet, from what I've gleaned from the reading and watching i've done. You know, where the people are actually involved. Then we could make decisions like whether or not it's worth the money to pollute our water supply with fracking. Or whacking down every last tree instead of being careful. Money. And that's the problem with any system. I think we can do it.

I"m optimistic.

[Wellstone ruled]

3. Appears we are in kind of a time warp

the Policies of the last 7 years are forcing changes toward a more caring and sharing society. Much like the time frame of 1946 thru 1952. For some of us old persons,seeing similarities in attitudes,yes we had the hate crowd which were represented by the John Birchers,and then we had the rest of us who tended to be Progressive and hungered for positive change. And of course we had the Conservative element mostly the Bankers or as we called them the Socials who lived on the Hill and looked down on the rest. What is absent is a just Media and that has been replaced thank fully by the Internet.

[Gregorian]

4. I remember the Birchers down the street in the 60's. My parents pointed them out.

I also didn't know William Buckley Jr. was a Bircher. That puts him in perspective.

I think suffering from our perverted economic system has finally "trickled down" enough to make people want to change. Sadly, fear and no knowing what systems work, are keeping people from making educated choices. The good news is that now they know what is causing their grief. Yes, we were in the dark until the internet.

I was talking to a cousin in law about Bernie. He had the same feeling about Adlai Stevenson. I'm not familiar with him as I'm "only" 60. I'm just glad to see how much we've progressed. I fear that the so-called media is going to pull another coup by ignoring Bernie. I feel very badly about O'Malley, since he's a superb candidate.

[Wellstone ruled]

5. Growing up in Northwestern Wisconsin the

Bircher's were the Bundest folks,mostly German who felt a allegiance to what was going on in Germany in the thirties and forties. If one takes a look at what has occurred in that state,many of the Politicians now in office are direct family members of that time frame. There again we are talking about how the lack of knowledge and the cause and effect relationships produced a present day nightmare for the citizens of Wisconsin.

With all of the crap coming out of the Rethug Party,and with independent surveys showing the American Public growing weary of this type of rhetoric,are hungry for some real policies that help people and not the wealthy.

[Gregorian]

6. Wow, interesing history on those immigrants.

My biggest fear is that Americans won't demand something from representatives that will improve our lives. Either they won't care, or won't know enough to care. But I've watched interactions with supporters in both the O'Malley and Sanders campaigns, and I see a high quality group of educated and concerned Americans. My honest feeling is the educated crowds are actually what comprises America, and not the ones we see on regular tv. After 2000 I felt like it was a dead country. I can see it is far from dead if Bernie has been as successful as he has.

[Wellstone ruled]

7. If one looks back,

Hubert Humphrey ran a Bernie Sanders Grass Roots Campaign,but old LBJ would not get off the pot and I think that in it's self caused a future lack of interest in and participation in the body politic. Nixon and his henchmen changed our Nation into a bunch of back biting finger pointers. And so it goes.