Spain's caretaker prime minister starts talks to form govt

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez smiles during a party meeting at Socialist party headquarters in Madrid, Spain, Monday, April 29, 2019. Spain's political future is no clearer after a third election since 2015, with experts saying Monday that it won't be anytime soon before the muddle is resolved. The incumbent prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, celebrated after his Socialist party won the most votes in Sunday's ballot. But Spanish politicians were doing the math on how Sanchez might survive the next four years without a parliamentary majority. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

MADRID – Spain's caretaker prime minister is meeting with the conservative leader in his first encounter with opposition politicians in efforts to form a government.

Pedro Sánchez's Socialist Party won the April 28 national election, but it has fallen short of a majority and will need help to stay in power.

Despite losing more than half its seats, Pablo Casado's conservative Popular Party was left as the leading opposition force in parliament.

Sánchez is sitting down with Casado on Monday. He will follow that up on Tuesday by seeing the leader of the center-right Citizens party, Albert Rivera, and the leader of the far-left United We Can party, Pablo Iglesias.

All the stakeholders are expected to hold off on striking deals for a government until after May 26 European and local elections.