Could PM Rajoy’s pact with the Ciudadanos party avert a third Spanish election?

They say that all good things come in threes, but for Spain’s long-suffering population the prospect of trudging – yet again – to a polling station to vote in a third general election in the space of a single year is probably not one of them…

Which is why the electorate is likely to be heartened by the news that the acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is to meet with the leader of the centre-right party Ciudadanos next week to thrash out terms that may lead to the creation of a new government.

Rajoy, who leads the People’s Party (PP), has agreed to listen to Ciudadanos’ six-point political reform package as he eyes securing a second term in office. Since the first general election last December, and the subsequent follow-up in June, the political impasse has remained, with Rajoy staying on as Prime Minister on an interim basis.

The conservative PP garnered the most votes in both elections, but neither time secured enough of a majority to either rule outright or enter into a coalition with fellow right or centre-right parties. The deadlock has been exacerbated by a reluctance among the more liberal and central parties – namely the Socialists, Podemos and Ciudadanos – to reach an agreement.

Now, however, there could well be light at the end of the tunnel following the mature concession from Ciudadanos that Spain’s wellbeing should come before any political gain. The party is willing to form a coalition with the PP on the proviso that Rajoy adopts its six points for reform.

It is unclear exactly what those six points will entail at this stage, but suffice to say they are likely to be aimed at addressing rigid structures that still exist in Spain’s employment sector.

The only hint as to what the reforms entail comes from Rajoy himself, who said: “The PP will do everything in its power to open up negotiations with Ciudadanos. We need a new government as soon as possible.

“These reforms demanded by Ciudadanos are significant; some affect the constitution and we have to study what the consequence would be.”

Rajoy is due to meet with Ciudadanos on August 17, by which point a resolution to the impasse could be a step closer. Any alliance formed between the two parties would still require the backing of the Socialists – who polled second in both elections – before a government could be formed.

However, with Ciudadanos on board, the Socialists may be more willing to work alongside the PP in a grand coalition.