Svobodna Dnevnik

[Hadash]

El Correo Internacional

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Magentina: PSD forms minority government
By: Rodolfo Valentino
Published: Marth 28, 1585


Antonina Cabrera, leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD)

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After two months of intense negotiations, Antonina Cabrera, the leader of the center-left PSD (Social Democratic Party), was appointed Prime Minister by the Magentinian assembly, by a 152-143 vote. As consequence, the PSD will form a coalition government with the left-liberal Social Justice Party and the centrist PRD. The latter, which had a disappointed result in the Alvan legislative election losing two seats down to 10 of 333 -being the smallest group in the parliament along Action for the Republic- will only join the government with two ministers, although  Cecilia Montes -PRD leader since late 1583- will become Minister of Foreign Affairs. Octavio Primo, from Alternative for Magentina, a political party founded only six months ago, became Speaker of the Assembly. The abstention of the new center-right political party was key for the appointment of Cabrera's government.

The legislative elections had been called after the 1582 parliament was unable to elect a President of the Republic with the constitutionally required majority. Prime Minister Emiliano Lafuente's government -affected by corruption scandals and denounces of nepotism- was unable to obtain a majority. Lafuente, the leader of the center-right Liberal Party, had been Prime Minister since 1578. Since 1582, he was leading a coalition government along Action for the Republic and the Conservative Party. A month ago, Saturnino Huerta was appointed President of the Republic, nominated by Alternative for Magentina. Huerta, mayor of Palmenta since 1572 as an Action for the Republic candidate, was one the first elected officials to suggest that it would have been better if Lafuente decided to step down as Liberal-Action for the Republic candidate.

The new coalition has agreed a center-left government program which includes a progressive tax reform, increasing social spending, the creation of a basic income experimental program for youth and unemployed, and return of land and inheritance taxation. However, Cabrera has also promised to lower the corporate tax -an Alternative for Magentina's demand-, to pass anti-trust and anti-corruption legislation, and to discuss a new immigration policy with the consensus of a majority of the parliament.

Although Cabrera will be the first women Prime Minister as the first PSD-led government -a left-wing political party established in 1547, which has never been in the national government before- is unclear if the Mandavines nation will experience important changes, as the government will require parliamentary support by Alternative for Magentina and other right-leaning or moderate forces.