Spanish Socialist leader insists no support for Rajoy

Spain's acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy (L) and Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez look on in different directions as they shake hands before their meeting at Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain, December 23, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

MADRID -- The leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), Pedro Sanchez, said on Wednesday that his party would not support the inauguration of acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy for a second term in office.

Sanchez made his declaration in a speech at the PSOE headquarters in Madrid after meeting Rajoy at the Prime Minister's residence in the Palacio de la Moncloa on Wednesday.

"We have to open a new political period in Spain, led by change, by progress and dialogue," said Sanchez, insisting that the PSOE "is not going to support the continuity of either Mariano Rajoy or the People's Party(PP) at the head of the Spanish government."

The meeting came two days after the result of the Spanish general election which was won by Rajoy's ruling People's Party (PP) who nevertheless lost their overall majority as they claimed just 123 seats of the 176 needed for a majority in the 350-seat Congress. Meanwhile, the PSOE won 90 seats in the election in their worst results ever with left-wing party Podemos winning 69 and Citzens, 40.

In mid-January, King Felipe VI of Spain will ask Rajoy to try and form a government and Rajoy will have two attempts to gain the support of Congress, first by attempting to win an overall majority in the inauguration debate and, if he fails at that, by winning a simple majority 48 hours later.

Should he fail, the King is obliged to ask another leader to try and form a government, but if no government is formed within two months, new elections will be called.