Spain’s Sanchez accepts mandate to try and form government

Spain’s King Felipe greets acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez before their meeting at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, Spain

Spain’s acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday that he had accepted a mandate from the king to try and form a government, and would reach out to other parties starting next week to drum up support amid a deeply fragmented parliament.

“There’s no other alternative possible,” said Sanchez.

The process is still likely to take several weeks before any new government can be voted on by parliament. The Socialists have been scrambling to secure support since winning the November election without enough seats to govern on their own.