LISBON, Portugal – Portugal's postelection political horse-trading shows no sign of a breakthrough.
The three mainstream center-right and center-left parties said late Tuesday they have made no progress in talks on creating a stable government since the Oct. 4 general election.
The center-right coalition government of the past four years got most votes, collecting 107 seats in the 230-seat Parliament with four still to be allocated. But it will be outnumbered by left-of-center lawmakers, who are now seeking common ground that could enable them to take power.
Those negotiations, led by the voted Socialist Party, include the Left Bloc and Communist Party/Green Party alliance. They all fiercely oppose austerity policies introduced after debt-heavy Portugal's 78 billion-euro ($89 billion) bailout in 2011, though the Socialists promise to abide by eurozone fiscal rules.
