Spain’s King Felipe VI has begun meeting party political leaders in the hope he can choose one that will be able to form a government following last month’s inconclusive elections.
The king began the talks Tuesday with smaller parties and will meet the main party leaders Wednesday, finishing with incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Sánchez’s Socialist party is best-positioned, having won the most seats — 120 — in the election. They have a deal with the left-wing United We Can party, which won 35, but are still way off securing a majority in the 350-seat chamber.
The Socialists are now trying to secure the abstention of the 13-seat secessionist Catalan Republican Left party. This has fueled charges from right-wing rivals that Sánchez is doing deals with those who want to break up Spain and has raised fears of an unstable government and possibly fresh elections.