MADRID, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish King on Tuesday nominated the right-wing Peoples' Party (PP) leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo as the candidate to form a government, following consultation with the main party leaders.
King Felipe made the decision after meeting earlier in the day with both Feijoo and acting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who is also the Socialist Party (PSOE) leader.
This is the second day of consultations between the King and main party leaders after the general election on July 23 failed to produce a candidate to form a new government.
Sanchez's PSOE won 121 seats in the general election, compared to 137 gained by the PP. The PSOE won the support of Basque, Catalan and Galician nationalist parties, as well as 31 seats of the left-wing party, Sumar. Therefore, Socialist Francina Armengol was elected as Speaker of the Congress last week, with 178 votes in the 350-seat chamber.
Although Santiago Abascal said his extreme-right wing party, Vox, would support Feijoo as candidate for prime minister, this would still leave Feijoo four votes short of the 176 needed for a Congressional majority, and with no chance of gaining support from the various nationalist parties.
After their meeting with the King, both party leaders said they were ready to try and form a new government.
"I have told the King of my will to work for a Parliamentary majority," said Sanchez.
"There is no alternative other than to reform a progressive government to consolidate the advances of the previous years. Those who questioned the previous government have not received either the votes or the seats to carry out their proposals," Sanchez said. However, he added that he would respect any decision made by the King.
The Spanish Constitution merely states that the Monarch has to name a candidate to try and win an investiture vote in Congress, but it does not specify whether this should be the leader of the party that has won the most votes, or the party leader who can gather the most parliamentary support.
"I am the candidate from the party that won the election on July 23," said Feijoo to the press after his meeting with the King.
The PP leader highlighted that with the support of the Vox, Coalicion Canaria and the UPN from Navarre, he would have 172 votes.
"That is four short of an absolute majority and I understand that means it is my duty to offer myself to the head of State," said Feijoo, insisting that the party that won the most seats should be given the first chance to form a government.
