Spain king tasks acting PM Rajoy with forming new government

Spain's king tasked Mariano Rajoy today with the delicate task of forming a government and unblocking seven months of political paralysis after a second round of inconclusive elections, the acting prime minister announced.
In a press conference, Rajoy said King Felipe VI had asked him if he would attempt to form a government, adding he had "accepted this assignment."
The country has been without a fully-functioning government since elections on December 20 failed to give any party an absolute parliamentary majority, as upstarts Ciudadanos and Podemos shook up Spain's long-established two-party system.
Efforts to forge a coalition were subsequently unsuccessful as rival parties were unable to overcome their differences, prompting repeat elections in June with a similar result.

Rajoy's Popular Party (PP), in power since 2011, won the June 26 vote with 137 seats out of 350.
Although its victory margin was wider than in the December polls, the conservative party still failed to achieve an absolute majority.

Rajoy needs to get enough support from other parties to push a coalition or minority government through a parliamentary vote of confidence -- be it with ballots in favour or abstentions.
But he faces an uphill challenge, as most other political parties have already announced they will not back him.
If he fails, Spain will most likely have to hold a third round of elections.