King Felipe IV Meets w/Parties As Decision On Investiture Vote Looms

King Felipe VI has begun meetings with leaders of political parties following the inconclusive July election. The consultations will allow the parties to present their arguments to the monarch of why their supported candidate should be offered the opportunity of a prime ministerial investiture vote. The Gibraltar Chronicle reports that the King's decision on who could be offered the first chance of an investiture vote could come as early as this afternoon.

• The centre-right Popular Party (PP) is looking for its leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo to be offered the first chance of an investiture vote, arguing that as the head of the largest party it is his prerogative to seek a majority coalition first.
• The centre-left Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) of acting PM Pedro Sanchez argues that Feijoo does not have the requisite support to win an investiture vote. The PSOE's success in getting its candidate elected as parliamentary speaker could provide impetus to the argument to have Sanchez offered the first investiture vote.
• Gibraltar Chronicle: "...the decision [on nominating a candidate] would trigger a two-month countdown in which an investiture must succeed before new elections are automatically called [...].These would be held 47 days after those two months end. [...] If the king takes a decision on Tuesday — he might take a few days to reflect or redo the consultation round — the investiture session could be held in the last week of August..."