Sánchez vows to avoid elections despite parliamentary ballot defeat

Acting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez vowed to avoid a new general election and will work towards a coalition after he failed to gain support from MPs twice this week.

“I’m not going to throw in the towel,” Sanchez said in an interview late Thursday on Spanish television. The four main political parties need “to reflect on what happened and unblock this situation”, he added.

Sanchez failed to become prime minister in a second vote this week, three months after the Spanish elections. The ballot came after negotiations to form a coalition between Sanchez's centre-left Socialists (PSOE) and the left-wing Podemos party collapsed on whether to hold an independence referendum in Catalonia.

Podemos is in favour of the move but PSOE is opposed. If the two sides don’t reach an agreement, Spain could see fresh elections as soon as November. Sánchez won the elections but did not have an absolute majority so a PSOE government depends on other political parties supporting his presidency.

The latest offer being considered by Podemos is to have the vice presidency and four ministries. According to sources close to the party, some members are considering accepting but leader Pablo Iglesias is leaning towards declining, claiming he wants more from PSOE.