Former Greek Finance Minister Urges Spaniards to Back Podemos

MADRID (Sputnik) – Former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, who served in the first radical leftist Syriza party cabinet, on Saturday urged Spaniards to support the left-wing Podemos party in its bid to form a progressive government.

Talks are underway among Spanish party leaders to form a government following the inconclusive December 20, 2015, general election, in which no party gained enough mandates to govern alone.

"What you have to do is vote for Spain’s Syriza," Yanis Varoufakis said about Podemos, speaking at a "Plan B" forum for European left-wing forces. Podemos won the third largest number of seats in the December general election.

Varoufakis thanked the Spanish people for "not believing the lies" of acting Economy Minister Luis de Guindos and acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, whom he accused of having "no idea" that Europe was "collapsing and dying."

He further backed a left-wing coalition in Spain "as an alternative for the democratization and stabilization of Europe to get out of the dark night it has found itself in."

Pedro Sanchez, who leads the Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), which became the second largest party in parliament after the elections, is looking to secure a majority in the 350-seat house. Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias has signaled that his party would be willing to join a left-wing coalition with the PSOE with Iglesias as vice president.

The stumbling block remains Podemos’ support for a Scotland-style referendum on the autonomous region of Catalonia seceding from Spain, something PSOE opposes.

Rajoy said on Thursday that his right-wing People's Party (PP) would vote against a Sanchez prime ministerial candidacy.