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Spain’s king wraps up talks on snapping political stalemate Spain’s Socialist leader tapped to try to form government
(about 5 hours later)
MADRID — Spanish King Felipe VI was wrapping up a second round of talks Tuesday with political party leaders aimed at finding one capable of negotiating sufficient parliamentary support to form a government following an inconclusive election in December. MADRID — Spain’s king has tapped Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez to try to form a government following an inconclusive December election in which the country’s conservative Popular Party came in first but didn’t win enough support to cobble together a coalition.
The monarch met in the morning with Pedro Sanchez of the leading opposition Socialist party and planned to finish in the evening with acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of the conservative Popular Party. Parliamentary speaker Patxi Lopez told reporters Tuesday night that King Felipe VI made the decision after meeting with Sanchez and with acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who heads the Popular Party.
Strong showings for two upstart parties from voters weary of austerity, high unemployment and official corruption cases prevented any party from winning a majority in the 350-seat Parliament in the Dec. 20 election. Sanchez must now try to negotiate with two new upstart parties who made big inroads with voters upset with austerity, high unemployment and official corruption.
The election smashed Spain’s traditional two-party system in which the Popular Party and the Socialists have alternated running Spain for decades. The Popular Party and the Socialists have alternately ruled Spain for decades, but far-left Podemos came in third in the Dec. 20 election and the business-friendly Ciudadanos came in fourth.
The far-left Podemos party came in third and the business-friendly Ciudadanos party placed fourth.
The king called a second round of meetings after Rajoy, whose party won the most seats, turned down Felipe’s nomination at the end of the first round, saying he did not have the backing he needed in Parliament.
Sanchez said after meeting with the king that he is willing to try to form a government if Rajoy again declines to do so.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.