MADRID — The leader of Spain’s conservatives on Friday failed for the second time in three days to get parliamentary support for his bid to become prime minister following his party’s victory in a national election.

In a vote in the Congress of Deputies in Madrid, the Spanish parliament’s lower chamber, Popular Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo collected again 173 lawmakers’ votes in his favor to 177 against him — roughly the same that he received two days earlier.

The Popular Party holds 137 seats in the Congress of Deputies, the most of any party, following the July election. But even with backing from the far-right Vox party’s 33 lawmakers and two from small conservative rivals, it was not enough for Feijóo.

His defeat opened a door for center-left Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez, whose Socialists placed second in the election, to possibly return to power if he can persuade smaller parties to back him.

Sánchez has been Spain’s prime minister for the past five years and is the country’s acting leader until a new government is formed.

The July election produced a splintered parliament made up of 350 legislators from 11 parties, making the path to power difficult for any one of them.

Sánchez’s outgoing government has delivered bold policies in such areas as women’s rights and climate change. He called July’s snap election after his party had a poor showing in local and regional elections.

To secure another term, the 51-year-old needs to persuade lawmakers from leftist, regionalist and separatist parties to support him. Negotiations on that possibility have been taking place for weeks.

If no government is in place by Nov. 27, another national election will be held on Jan. 14.

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