Spain's Socialists on brink of 'civil war'

Spain's Socialist Party was on the verge of "civil war" Thursday after half its leadership staged a coup, in what could turn out to be good news for those desperate to end the country's political deadlock.

"A sad spectacle", "War" -- read headlines in Spanish newspapers awash with news that 17 members of the party's executive resigned Wednesday evening in a bid to oust leader Pedro Sanchez, unhappy about the way he was navigating the Socialist ship through this year's choppy politics.

"The Socialists had already gone through other stormy periods in the past decades but never had we seen something like this: a coup... to depose a secretary general elected democratically by grassroots members," wrote the right-wing El Mundo daily.

The Socialist Party (PSOE) has for months been wracked by internal dissent over Sanchez's leadership during Spain's now nine-month political stalemate, as rival parties fail to agree on a government following two inconclusive elections.

The PSOE scored historically low results in December general elections and in a repeat June poll as voters flocked to other political upstarts.

It then took a drubbing in two regional polls at the weekend -- the last straw for many high-ranking Socialists who precipitated the coup.

- Crux '24 hours' -

The PSOE's woes come hot on the heels of similar troubles in Britain's Labour party, which saw leader Jeremy Corbyn severely challenged by high-ranking members.

But he survived and was re-elected last weekend thanks in large part to support among grassroots members, and Sanchez too is hanging on.

The 44-year-old was seen arriving at his party headquarters in Madrid earlier Thursday to attend a closed-door meeting of his now highly reduced executive, albeit through the tinted windows of his chauffeur-driven car.

With two separate, earlier resignations, this takes the number of party executives that have quit to 19 out of 35 -- or a majority -- but what happens now is far from certain.

"Coup d'etats are resolved within 24 hours after the manoeuvre," said Pablo Simon, politics professor at Madrid's Carlos III University.

Among those who resigned Wednesday were several so-called "party barons," or regional presidents.

Sanchez's detractors want the party to use its 85 parliamentary seats to help unblock the situation and allow a right-wing coalition government through by abstaining in the necessary vote of confidence.

That, they argue, would avoid a third round of elections and the party could go into opposition and build up strength again.

But Sanchez refuses, having directed the Socialists to vote against such a coalition government led by acting conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy earlier this month.

This prompted it to fail, and the country looked like it was heading for a third election.

- 'Difficult to heal' -

Now however, if Sanchez's critics win the day and manage to impose a caretaker party executive after the coup, the chances are Rajoy will attempt to push a government through again knowing that the Socialists will abstain this time round.

But if Sanchez himself manages to impose his will and appeal directly to grassroots party members by immediately convoking an extraordinary meeting to vote on the party leadership, the future looks more uncertain.

If he held on, the PSOE would risk falling into "civil war" with Sanchez going into a third round of elections with half of the party campaigning against him, Simon said.

Come what may, though, the 137-year-old party has been severely weakened, he added.

"This is a wound that in the medium term will be very difficult to heal.

"This is an issue that will affect... the PSOE's electoral opportunities over the next decade."