With the one that will be launched next Monday, the number of rounds of consultations that Felipe VI has convened since he was proclaimed on June 19, 2014 totals nine. An average of one per year comes out, when King Juan Carlos, who also exercised this power on nine occasions, corresponding to as many general elections that took place in Spain in 36 years, from the approval of the Constitution in 1978 until his abdication in 2014, he had, on average, one round of consultations each four years. In the times of Juan Carlos I, bipartisanship reigned, the round was short and, in most cases, purely formal. The proclamation of Felipe VI not only meant "a renewed monarchy for a new time", according to the current King in his first speech, it also meant, after the first elections of his reign -those held on December 20, 2015- the entry into the Parliament of new political forces such as Podemos and Ciudadanos with the capacity to tip the balance of the winning bloc. The new scenario did not start the first time and, after the failed investitures of Mariano Rajo (PP), who declined to run, and Pedro Sánchez (PSOE), who did not obtain a majority, the elections had to be repeated on June 26, 2016. On June 1, 2018, after the motion of no confidence in Rajoy, Pedro Sánchez was sworn in as president. A year later, after the elections of April 28, 2019, and the failed inauguration of Pedro Sánchez, who did not obtain enough votes, the Parliament was dissolved again and new elections were called on November 10, after which he was proclaimed president. Pedro Sanchez.
In the particular statistics of Felipe VI, in addition to the eight previous rounds of consultations, six legislatures, four failed investitures, three effective investitures and two presidents of the Government are added. He does not lack experience, the King has already seen them in all colors, including proposing a candidate and having him decline to be put to a vote in Congress, as happened with Mariano Rajoy, something never seen before. Although some political representatives insist on granting the King the ability to influence which of the possible candidates for the presidency of the Government arrives first at the investiture session, the truth is that Felipe VI limits himself to listening to the representatives of the different formations policies with parliamentary representation and, in the end, presenting in the first place the one who meets some sine qua non conditions: first, who has more of their own seats and second, and principally, who wants to present himself and accepts the King's proposal.
In the current scenario and given the refusal of Junts, ERC, EH Bildu and BNG to attend the round of consultations and, therefore, they will not have the opportunity to explain to the King which candidate they will support in the investiture, the head of state will receive in inverse order to the number of seats obtained in Congress to all the heads of the list. The last one will be Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who has it in his hands to communicate to the King his intention to attempt the investiture or, on the contrary, to explain that he does not have sufficient support, the same thing that Pedro Sánchez will do, who will precede the popular candidate in the round of inquiries. The King, before the two willing candidates, has no other option than to present the most voted, but he does not opt for any; it is Congress, on behalf of all voters, who has the last word.
