2015–2016 Spanish government formation

2015–2016 Spanish government formation
	Mariano Rajoy being congratulated by PSOE spokesperson Antonio Hernando after his successful investiture as prime minister on 29 October 2016
Date	21 December 2015 – 29 October 2016; (10 months, 1 week and 1 day)
Location	Spain
Type	Government formation
Cause	Hung parliaments following the 2015 and 2016 general elections
Participants	PP; PSOE; Podemos; C's; ERC; CDC/; PDeCAT; PNV; Compromís; IU; EH Bildu; UPN; CCa; FAC; NCa;
Outcome	December 2015 – April 2016:; Signing of PSOE agreements with C's and CCa; Pedro Sánchez's failed investiture; Inconclusiveness of negotiations leading to fresh election; June–October 2016:; Signing of PP agreements with C's and CCa; Mariano Rajoy's failed investiture on 2 September; PSOE crisis leading to Sánchez's ouster and the party voting to allow a PP minority government; Rajoy's successful investiture on 29 October; Second Rajoy government formed;

After the Spanish general election of 20 December 2015 failed to deliver an overall majority for any political party, extensive negotiations ensued to form a government in the country. As a result, the previous People's Party (PP) cabinet headed by Mariano Rajoy was forced to remain in a caretaker capacity for 314 days until the next government could be sworn in.

After a series of inconclusive inter-party negotiations, leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) Pedro Sánchez tried and failed to pass an investiture vote on 2–4 March. Subsequently, a political impasse set in as King Felipe VI could not find a new candidate to nominate with sufficient parliamentary support. As a result, a snap election was held on 26 June. The second election also proved inconclusive, and a failed investiture attempt by Rajoy on 31 August raised the prospect of a third election.

On 1 October, a party rebellion resulted in Sánchez being ousted as leader of the PSOE and the latter voting to allow the formation of a PP minority government. This materialized on 29 October when the PSOE abstained in Rajoy's second investiture bid, thus ending the political deadlock.