Spanish King Felipe VI, left, shakes hands with Spain's Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez before a meeting at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016. Spanish King Felipe VI is wrapping up a second round of talks with political party leaders aimed at finding one capable of getting sufficient parliamentary support to form a government following the recent election. No party won a majority in the 350-seat Parliament in the Dec. 20 election and so far none has found sufficient external support to try to form government. (Chema Moya, Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
MADRID (AP) - Spanish political leaders who met with King Felipe VI on Tuesday reported no breakthrough, meaning the country's political stalemate after an inconclusive election in December looks likely to continue.
The monarch has held a second round of talks in recent days with party leaders aimed at finding one capable of negotiating sufficient parliamentary support to form a government following the ballot.
Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of the conservative Popular Party said he told Felipe he still doesn't have enough backing from other parties to establish a stable government. A potential government would have to win a parliamentary confidence vote before taking office.
He repeated his wish to create a coalition with the Socialist party and business-friendly Ciudadanos party, but accused the Socialists of refusing to negotiate.
Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez said after meeting with the king that he is willing to try to form a government if Rajoy again declined to do so.
Felipe was due to hold talks with the parliamentary speaker later Tuesday.
The king called the second round of meetings after Rajoy, whose party won the most seats in parliament, turned down Felipe's nomination at the end of the first round, saying he didn't yet have the parliamentary backing he needed.
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.
The election smashed Spain's traditional two-party system in which the Popular Party and the Socialists have alternated running Spain for decades.
The far-left Podemos party came in third and the business-friendly Ciudadanos party finished fourth.
Spain's King Felipe VI, left, poses with Spain's acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy before a meeting at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016. Spanish King Felipe VI is wrapping up a second round of talks with political party leaders aimed at finding one capable of getting sufficient parliamentary support to form a government following the recent election. No party won a majority in the 350-seat Parliament in the Dec. 20 election and so far none has found sufficient external support to try to form government.(Paco Campos, Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
Spanish King Felipe VI, left, shakes hands with Spain's Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez before a meeting at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016. Spanish King Felipe VI is wrapping up a second round of talks with political party leaders aimed at finding one capable of getting sufficient parliamentary support to form a government following the recent election. No party won a majority in the 350-seat Parliament in the Dec. 20 election and so far none has found sufficient external support to try to form government. (Chema Moya, Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
Spain's King Felipe VI, left, shakes hands with Spain's acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy before a meeting at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016. Spanish King Felipe VI is wrapping up a second round of talks with political party leaders aimed at finding one capable of getting sufficient parliamentary support to form a government following the recent election. No party won a majority in the 350-seat Parliament in the Dec. 20 election and so far none has found sufficient external support to try to form government. (Paco Campos, Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press