Spain’s Socialists will not support Mariano Rajoy as PM

The leader of Spain’s opposition Socialists has said that he will not support any effort by the acting prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, to stay in his post via a coalition or a minority government.

Pedro Sanchez made the declaration after meeting with Rajoy, who is trying to negotiate a way for him and his centre-right Popular Party to remain in power after it won the most votes in a national election on Sunday but fell far short of a majority.

Rajoy did not comment after the two men met at the presidential palace.

The splintered vote that marked the end of three decades of two-party domination in Spain gave his party a total of 123 seats in the 350-member lower house of parliament, down from the 186 that it won in 2011.

The Socialists got 90 seats, followed by the far-left Podemos and allies with some 69 seats, and the business-friendly Ciudadanos with 40 seats.

Sanchez reiterated that it is up to the Popular Party to first try to form a government because it got the most votes.

He did not say whether the Socialists would support the Popular Party if Rajoy steps down, but Spain has never had a “grand coalition” of its two main parties.

Analysts predict weeks or months of uncertainty before the country has a functioning government led by the Popular Party or the Socialist Party — or a new election in the springtime if neither one of the parties succeed.

In January, Rajoy faces a parliamentary vote on whether he can reassume his position as the leader of the government.

In the first vote, he would need more than 50% to form a government.

If he falls short, Rajoy must get more votes for him than against him in a second ballot 48 hours later.

That is a lower bar allowing parties to abstain, letting a rival into power in return for concessions.

Ciudadanos has already said that it will abstain.

However, Sanchez has ruled that out for his Socialists.

If there is still a deadlock after two months, King Felipe VI will call a new election.