TW
1

Talk about low key. You wouldn't think that in ten days' time Spain will be voting in a second general election in the space of six months. I watched the TV debate between the four leaders of the main parties on Monday and I was totally unimpressed by any of them. There is no passion in this election campaign, no real issues either.

As we all know Spain was forced to hold a new general election after the previous poll ended in stalemate and none of the four parties could reach an agreement to form a coalition which would give them a majority. I suspect we are heading for a similar result in round two. And who is to blame? Spain's four main parties for their lacklustre campaigns.

Polls indicate that the centre-right Partido Popular will win but without a clear majority. The only thing that the PP can hope is that there is an increase in the support for the new centrist party Ciudadanos. The C's might be an ideal bedmate for the PP. They have similar policies. But in the first election the two parties failed to secure enough votes to give them a majority government. In the end the C's signed a coalition pact with PSOE, the socialist party. But it was the same story again. If we do get the same result again then perhaps the PP should be allowed to form a minority government which can secure agreements with other parties on key issues. Otherwise Spain will be without a government.