Spain`s King, politicians to meet October 24, 25 to discuss confidence vote

MADRID Spain’s King Felipe will meet leaders of all the main political parties Oct. 24 and 25 in the latest attempt to pick a candidate to form a government after almost 10 months of political stalemate following two inconclusive elections.

Under Spanish law, the king acts as a formal broker between political parties after elections in December and June which gave no single leader a clear majority.

After the last consultation following the June election, acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was tasked with finding parliamentary support to form a government, but lost two confidence votes in his bid for a second term.

The resignation this month of Socialist party head, Pedro Sanchez, who blocked Rajoy’s reelection in previous votes, may prompt the traditional left-wing opposition to abstain in a confidence vote avoiding the need for a third election.

(Reporting by Paul Day- Editing by Sonya Dowsett)