Albert Rivera is emerging as the clear winner from Spain’s political deadlock

Spain’s anti-austerity party, Podemos, announced in April 2016 that it would hold a grassroots referendum among its supporters to determine whether to back a proposed coalition led by the centre-left Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE). Should this last attempt to reach an agreement fail, it was expected that new elections would be held in the summer of 2016.

The grassroots polls took place over the weekend of 16-17 April 2016. Nearly 90% of those who voted rejected the idea of working with a pact of PSOE and the centre-right reform group Ciudadanos. However, they would support the idea of working with the PSOE, the communist-led United Left, and Valencian party Compromís.

Benito Cao writes on the key obstacles that prevented a deal being reached and assessed how new elections would play out for each of the main four parties.

Following a final round of consultations on 25-26 April, the King Filipe VI decided not to put forward any candidate for a new round of voting at the parliament, paving the way for a new election to take place in June.

• Primary Source

ESO: Key Source: Spanish general election, 2015 http://www.europeansources.info/record/spanish-general-election-2015/

ESO: Background information: Three key choices facing Spain as the country continues to search for its next government http://www.europeansources.info/record/three-key-choices-facing-spain-as-the-country-continues-to-search-for-its-next-government/

Blog: Open Europe, 12.04.16: Spain has three weeks but almost no options to avoid re-run elections http://openeurope.org.uk/today/blog/spain-three-weeks-almost-no-options-avoid-re-run-elections/

El País, 12.04.16: Spanish king announces last-minute talks with political leaders http://elpais.com/elpais/2016/04/12/inenglish/1460455997_760648.html

The Local.es, 12.04.16: Spanish king to meet parties in fresh bid to end deadlock http://www.thelocal.es/20160412/spanish-king-to-meet-parties-in-fresh-bid-to-end-deadlock

Politico, 18.04.16: Spain counts cost of inevitable new elections http://www.politico.eu/article/spain-counts-cost-of-inevitable-new-elections/

El País, 18.04.16: Podemos grassroots rejects doing deal with Socialists and Ciudadanos http://elpais.com/elpais/2016/04/18/inenglish/1460979996_821039.html

The Local.es, 18.04.16: Podemos members rule out pact to form government http://www.thelocal.es/20160418/podemos-members-rule-out-pact-to-form-government-spain

Politico, 18.04.16: Podemos members reject Socialist-Ciudadanos coalition http://www.politico.eu/article/podemos-members-reject-socialist-ciudadanos-coalition-pablo-iglesias/

El País, 26.04.16: Socialists come up with last-ditch offer in bid to avoid new elections http://elpais.com/elpais/2016/04/26/inenglish/1461677480_527334.html

---