King Felipe nominates Feijoo to form government

Spain's King Felipe VI announced on Tuesday night that he has chosen Alberto Núñez Feijóo, a candidate from the Popular Party, to attempt to form a government.

This decision was prompted by an unprecedented situation in which the king had to decide between two candidates, each asserting their ability to garner the majority support necessary to establish a government.

The alternative contender was Pedro Sánchez, the leader of the Socialist Party and the acting Prime Minister.

Despite Sánchez's party securing a majority of votes for its candidate to serve as the speaker of the house in last week's elections, King Felipe VI opted for the less favored conservative candidate.

In an official statement, the king stated that his choice was based on the Popular Party winning the highest number of votes in the general elections held in July. Although Spanish law does not explicitly mandate that the candidate receiving the most votes should be granted the initial opportunity to form a government, the king justified his decision as rooted in tradition.

Feijóo received slightly over 33% of the Spanish voters' support, while Sanchez garnered nearly 32% of the votes.

However, Feijóo faces challenges in securing the requisite majority support to establish a government. Unless there is a significant political shift and Feijóo manages to gain additional backing from regionalist parties, the endorsement of the far-right and other conventional allies may not be sufficient.

The king's statement emphasized that no candidate currently enjoys a clear majority of support.

Spain's left-wing coalition, led by Sanchez, is in pivotal negotiations with Catalan separatist parties, which could potentially provide the necessary support. However, the Catalan factions are demanding substantial concessions, such as political amnesty for exiled independence leaders, a request that the Socialist Party has so far declined to fulfill.

The likelihood of the more hardline nationalist Popular Party engaging in negotiations with the Catalan separatists is low. Instead, Feijóo's main prospect hinges on a political faction from the Basque Country, although their support remains uncertain due to the Popular Party's association with the far-right Vox party.

Should Feijóo's endeavor to form a government prove unsuccessful, the king retains the authority to nominate another candidate for the task.

If all attempts falter, Spain could revert to a state of political instability, potentially necessitating another round of elections.