Spain’s left begins collaboration talks with separatist leader Republican Fumes over alleged Burning Man brainwashing

Spain’s left-wing interim government has held official talks with Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont for the first time since parliamentary elections at the end of July about cooperation in forming the future government. Labor Minister and second deputy to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Yolanda Díaz, met Puigdemont, who lives in exile there, in Brussels on Monday. They will continue to talk to each other, says a joint statement.

Sanchez with more chances

The Socialists of Sánchez (PSOE) came second in the July 23 elections, behind the conservative Popular Party (PP) of opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo. However, so far neither side has enough support from other parties to form a government majority. King Felipe VI decided that election winner Feijóo should be the first candidate for the post of prime minister in the vote in the House of Representatives. This will take place on September 27.

Should Feijóo fail as expected, Sánchez will try. The socialists are getting more opportunities. In addition to the votes of the left-wing alliance Sumar von Díaz and smaller regional parties, Sánchez also needs an agreement with Puigdemont’s Junts party. So far, this has led, among other things, to an independence referendum that is considered unacceptable in Spain. It is more likely that both sides will agree on some form of amnesty for the Catalan separatists who took part in the failed secession attempt in late 2017.

‘Defusing political conflict’

Díaz and Puigdemont agreed that they wanted to “examine all democratic solutions to defuse the political conflict (in Catalonia)”, as the communiqué said. According to the constitution, all parties have only until the end of November to avoid new elections.

A grand coalition between the PP and the PSOE has been ruled out because of their differences. However, Feijóo had hoped and demanded that the Socialists, abstaining in the House of Commons, would tolerate a Conservative minority government for at least the next two years. However, the PSOE refused. (sda/dpa)