Spain's parliament speaker aims for investiture debate, vote on Jan. 4-7

Spain's lower house plans to hold a confirmation session on Jan. 4, 5 and 7 on whether to renew Pedro Sanchez as Prime Minister, an official from the parliament's speaker office Meritxell Batet said on Tuesday. Batet is expected to make the formal call on Jan. 2, the official said.

On Monday, Socialist party's leader Sanchez and the head of far-left party Podemos Pablo Iglesias reiterated they agreed to form a government coalition. Since the two parties together fall short of a majority, the Socialist Party is currently courting support from Catalan separatist party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya.