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Europe

Spain's king coaxes politicians to end 9-month gov't limbo

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy attends the opening ceremony of the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016. (Nicolas Asfouri/Pool Photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

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    Spain's Socialist party leader Pedro Sanchez addresses lawmakers during the second of the two investiture debates, at the Spanish parliament in Madrid, in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Lawmakers in Spain's Parliament rejected for the second time in three days acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's bid to form a minority government, pushing the country to a third election in a year. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) (The Associated Press)

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    Spain's acting Prime Minister and Popular party leader Mariano Rajoy looks down as he addresses lawmakers during the second of the two investiture debates, at the Spanish parliament in Madrid, in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016. Lawmakers in Spain's Parliament rejected for the second time in three days acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's bid to form a minority government, pushing the country to a third election in a year. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) (The Associated Press)

MADRID – Spain's king has reminded the country's political leaders they need to accept compromises in order to end nine months without a government.

King Felipe VI issued a statement Monday that recalled a speech he made after an inconclusive general election last December, when he urged parties to negotiate agreements on who should take power.

But Spain has never had a coalition government, and party leaders remain reluctant to give ground despite a second inconclusive election last June and possibly a third one before the end of the year.

Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, whose conservative Popular Party got most votes in both elections, said Monday that he would continue trying to persuade the second-place Socialists that they have enough in common to make them potential allies.