The King of Spain to Call Consultations to Form a Government

Due to the political deadlock caused by the general elections, King Felipe VI will initiate a round of consultations with the Spanish parties to form a government after August 17.

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On Sunday, the Popular Party (PP) and the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) did not obtain the necessary majority to govern. They need support from other political organizations, which seems unlikely to be achieved.

According to the Spanish Constitution, Felipe VI has the power to propose a candidate to submit to the investiture session once meetings with the different political organizations have been completed.

The interviews with the representatives of the parties will take place after the Congress and the Senate are constituted on August 17, although this date could be modified.

Typically, the Spanish monarch summons the parties about two weeks after the new legislature begins with the election of its president and the inauguration of legislators. This would place the round of consultations at the end of August or beginning of September.

The PP leader Alberto Nuñez Feijoo, whose conservative party obtained 136 seats, announced that he is going to try to form a government, although he does not reach an absolute majority (176) with the 33 lawmakers from the far-right VOX party.

Pedro Sanchez, the acting president of the Spanish government, is not guaranteed an absolute majority either with the 122 PSOE seats. Therefore, his re-election would depend on obtaining support from the left-wing SUMAR coalition and pro-independence organizations such as the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), Basque Country Unite (BILDU), Basque National Party (PNV), and Together for Catalonia (JUNTS).

The scenario left by the elections does not clarify who King Felipe VI could propose to form a government. His candidate must in turn obtain the absolute majority of votes in the legislative branch to become president. If this does not happen, Parliament must hold a new vote 48 hours later, in which only a simple majority will be required.

If the candidate fails again, the Spanish king would convene a new round of consultations and a period of two months would be opened for another candidate to attempt the investiture. If this does not happen either, Spain will have to hold new general elections.

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