Catalan regional President Carles Puigdemont, right, shakes hands with Podemos Party leader Pablo Iglesias at the Generalitat Palace in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, April 8, 2016. The leader of Spain’s far left Podemos party has announced party members will vote next week on whether to support or oppose a deal to form a government and end nearly four months of political stalemate. Pablo Iglesias made the announcement Friday, a day after he met with negotiators for the Socialists and the centrist Ciudadanos party. They have a deal to form a government but lack parliamentary support and could get it from Podemos. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) (The Associated Press)
MADRID – Spain's Socialist Party says there is still a chance of arriving at an agreement with far-left Podemos to form a coalition government.
Socialist negotiator Antonio Hernando said there is 70 percent agreement with a 20-point proposal submitted by Podemos aimed at breaking "the political logjam and enable a government."
Hernando said the Socialists objected only to two points related to Podemos' commitment to allowing northeastern Catalonia to hold a secession referendum, and its insistence on excluding business-friendly Ciudadanos from a coalition.
The Socialists reached a coalition agreement with Ciudadanos in February and the two parties could form a government with Podemos' votes, or abstentions, in the 350-seat lower house of parliament.
A new government must be in place by May 2 or another election will be held on June 26.
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