Spanish lawmakers will this weekend begin debating whether to renew Pedro Sanchez as prime minister and end months of political deadlock in the major European Union country.
Carmen Chacón, who became Spain's first female defence minister under the Socialist government of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, died on Sunday at the age of 46.
The race for the leadership of Spain's main opposition Socialists heated up Sunday as the president of the southern Andalusia region launched her bid to head the deeply-divided party.
Spain's embattled Socialists on Sunday voted to lift a long-standing veto that has prevented the conservatives from forming a minority government, in what should finally end a ten-month political
impasse.
The drama within Spain's opposition Socialist Party which saw the resignation of Pedro Sanchez as leader could now finally unblock months of political paralysis, analysts predict.
At the helm of the Spanish Socialist party for more than two years, Pedro Sanchez - or "Mr Handsome" as he is known - fell for repeatedly saying "no" to the conservatives.
Spain's crisis-hit Socialists geared for a key meeting on Saturday that could decide the fate of embattled party leader Pedro Sanchez and help end the country's prolonged political deadlock.
Spain's Socialist party was hit by a "coup" attempt on Wednesday with half of its leadership quitting in a bid to oust leader Pedro Sanchez and unblock the country's political deadlock
The crisis wracking Spain's Socialists deepened Wednesday as former prime minister Felipe Gonzalez accused Pedro Sanchez of having "tricked" him, in the latest high-profile criticism of the current party chief.
Spain's nine-month political paralysis is taking its toll on parties, and none more so than the Socialists who are facing a crisis, with talk of an imminent "coup" against leader Pedro Sanchez.
Spain's Socialist chief Pedro Sanchez was set to lose his bid to form a new government on Wednesday after key parties vowed to vote against him in an evening vote of confidence in parliament.
Spain's Socialist chief Pedro Sanchez ventures into hostile parliamentary territory on Tuesday to plead with lawmakers to vote him through as prime minister and allow the country to finally get a government, knowing his chances are slim.
The statement from the PSOE socialist party came as outgoing conservative Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who Friday abandoned his own attempts to form a new administration, warned the Socialists they risked giving Podemos the whip hand in a new government coalition.
The leader of Spain's anti-austerity party Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, on Friday proposed forming a government with the Socialists, making a left-wing governing alliance more likely after last month's inconclusive election.
Spain's Socialists hold the key to the next government after an inconclusive election but whether they reach a deal with the conservatives or team up with the anti-austerity party Podemos, they risk losing support, analysts say.
