New Spain PM seeks to exclude Podemos

Sanchez rose to power unexpectedly as a result of a corruption scandal that toppled conservative Rajoy

Spain’s new Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, propelled to power by an unlikely alliance of rival parties, yesterday worked on putting together a minority government which a close aide said would not include ministers from the hardleft Podemos party.

The Socialist party leader, a pro-European who is a newcomer to government, says he wants his government to last until mid-2020, when the parliamentary term ends.

Sanchez rose to power unexpectedly as a result of a corruption scandal that toppled conservative Mariano Rajoy. But with only 84 out of 350 seats in parliament, it is unclear how long a Sanchez government can last.

Podemos, which helped Sanchez to oust Rajoy, said it wants to be in the government. The anti-austerity party wants generous welfare policies and tougher regulations and taxes on banks.