Sanchez named as caretaker Prime Minister after inconclusive vote

Pedro Sanchez was formally named caretaker Prime Minister of an interim government that will remain in place until Spain resolves the political uncertainty

Pedro Sanchez was on July 25 formally named caretaker Prime Minister of an interim government that will remain in place until Spain resolves the political uncertainty that emerged from Sunday's inconclusive elections.

Although Alberto Nunez Feijoo's right-wing Popular Party (PP) won the vote, it fell short of a governing majority, handing Sanchez's Socialists a lifeline as they have more options to create alliances with smaller parties.

"I hereby declare the dismissal of Pedro Sanchez as head of government who will remain in office until a new prime minister takes office," King Felipe VI said in the official State Gazette.

If the political deadlock is not resolved in the coming months, Spain will likely have to hold a repeat election.

Although Feijoo's PP won 136 of the 350 seats in parliament, it fell far short of the 176 needed to govern, and even with the support of Vox's 33 mandates, it can only reach 169.

Even so, Feijoo has demanded the right to form a minority government as winner of the vote, and on Monday began talks with various regionalist parties which look certain to fail given Vox's extreme positions and strong opposition to regional autonomy.

The Basque PNV party, which won five seats, already indicated on Monday that it had no interest in talking with Feijoo.