Spanish radical leftist leader hails new British Labour Party chief, sees him as ally

MADRID – The leader of Spain's radical-left Podemos (We Can) party says he views the new head of Britain's Labour Party as an ally and invites him to "walk together" in the fight against austerity.

Jeremy Corbyn was elected Labor leader at the weekend after calling for the nationalization of industry, heavy taxes on corporations and the rich, increased government spending, and an end to austerity.

Pablo Iglesias, a 36-year-old political science professor, said in an opinion column published Monday that Corbyn is being denigrated in the same way the Podemos party and Greece's radical Syriza government have been.

Iglesias adds, "And yet across Europe we are becoming stronger and stronger."

The column was published Monday in Britain's The Guardian and Spain's El Pais newspapers.