Podemos baby number three: Aitana named after poets' exile to Latin America

Iglesias made the announcement last night (Friday) on Facebook, saying: “Aitana was born today. She arrived before her due date, as is traditional in our family, but fortunately and thanks to close medical attention, she was much less early than her brothers. She is in perfect health and will soon be coming home.”

Non-identical twins Leo and Manuel were due at the end of last September, but Irene suddenly went into labour on July 3 and the boys came into the world three months prematurely.

The couple kept a bedside vigil in neo-natal intensive care and published emotional messages on social media, revealing that 'some of the warmest hugs and best advice' had come from some of the couple's 'greatest political rivals', and that although they are republicans and atheists, they were greatly touched to receive a personal call from King Felipe and Queen Letizia and for the Christians they know for praying for them.

They also showered praise on Spain's State-run health service, without which, they said, their boys would not have survived.

Both boys are now 13 months old and in excellent health, although it was a traumatic and uncertain few weeks for Pablo and Irene.

They announced on March 13 this year that Leo and Manuel were going to have a baby sister.

Once again, Pablo's Facebook message thanked staff at Madrid's Gregorio Marañón hospital, saying: “Their effort and generosity make what is already the best thing about our country even greater: the public health service.”

Aitana's name, the couple say, is 'a homage to Latin America and to Spanish exile'.

“Leaving Alicante as exiles, heading for Latin America, [poets] María Teresa León and Rafael Alberti waved goodbye to their mother country, seeing, for the last time, the Aitana mountain range blooming with red flowers,” Pablo wrote on Facebook.

“This vision inspired, firstly, the name of the two poets' daughter, and later, the name of many more daughters, including ours.”

Irene, who did not need a Caesarean and has been signed off work for several weeks, is said to be in great health.

She will now be off work for a further four months on maternity leave, and Pablo will be away for eight weeks on paternity leave.

Until January 2018, paternity leave was only two weeks, but pressure from the opposition led to the right-wing PP-led government's increasing it to four.

Acting president Pedro Sánchez, of the socialists (PSOE) upped it to eight weeks from January this year.

As a result, it could be neither of Podemos' top two will be available for the crucial negotiations necessary for Sánchez to form a coalition or an agreement on electoral programme points to allow him to try a second time to be invested as president in a ceremony that would be due on September 23.

If this does not go ahead, or Sánchez fails to secure enough votes in his favour, the country will be forced into a fresh general election in November.

The above photograph shows Irene Montero in the later stages of her pregnancy just before she was signed off work.