Spain's Socialist party rejected a re-worked offer on Tuesday to form a coalition government with the far-left Unidas Podemos that could have mapped a way out of a four-month political hiatus that began with an inconclusive national election.
Spain’s Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez, fresh from a win for his party in national elections on Sunday, said the only conditions he would place on forming a coalition government would be respecting the constitution and promoting social justice.
The leaders of all of Spain's main political parties invited their supporters on Friday night to prepare for power, as campaigning for one of the tightest national elections in decades drew to a close. No single party will get an overall majority in Sunday's ballot, and opinion polls suggest all five leading contenders have a realistic chance of playing a role in government.
Spain’s Socialists increased their lead in two polls published over the weekend, with support from 28.8% to 30.3% of voters, but they fell short of a majority ahead of a general election on April 28.