The Spanish King Felipe VI. has tasked conservative opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo with forming a new government. The head of state announced this, said House President Francina Armengol on Tuesday evening after the king’s consultations with various party leaders in Madrid.
The House of Commons must now set the date for the vote on the 61-year-old’s candidacy for Prime Minister. In the first round, the candidate needs an absolute majority of at least 176 yes votes. In the second ballot, a simple majority is sufficient. Despite his electoral success on July 23, Feijóo has not yet had enough support from other parties.
The acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez from the Socialist Party PSOE had been given more chances than Feijóo in advance. For a successful candidacy, Sánchez needed multi-party support, as well as an agreement with the Junts party of exiled Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont.
In general, the outcome of the parliamentary elections in July meant that small, partly separatist parties gained influence. In the meantime, even the regional party of the Canary Islands, which has exactly one representative, feels that it has a say and is making demands in Madrid.