Leader of Spain's conservatives has a slim chance of winning lawmakers' approval for his government

abcnews.go.com:

The leader of Spain’s conservatives has tried to win the endorsement of the nation’s parliament to form a new government

MADRID — MADRID (AP) — The leader of Spain’s conservatives tried to convince lawmakers on Tuesday to let him form the country’s new government, a green light he wasn't expected to get during two rounds of voting in the Spanish parliament later this week.

Spain's July 23 national election gave Alberto Núñez Feijóo's Popular Party the most seats in the parliament's 350-member lower chamber, but well shy of an absolute majority, setting the stage for a difficult path to power.

Under the Spanish Constitution, two investiture votes will determine whether Feijóo has authorization to form a government — likely a coalition with the far-right Vox party. He needs approval from a simple majority of 176 lawmakers in the first vote, which is scheduled for Wednesday after hours of debate.

If he misses that mark, the bar would be lowered for the second round, in which he would need only more “yes” than “no” votes. Abstentions could sway the result in that situation. The second vote is set for Friday.

The Popular Party holds 137 seats in the Congress of the Deputies, the most of any party. But even with backing from Vox's 33 lawmakers and two from small conservative parties representing Navarra and the Canary Islands, Feijóo is still four votes short.

If he fails to win approval, acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez would get a shot at staying in the Moncloa Palace. The center-left Socialist leader would have to round up enough support of lawmakers from a group of competing leftist, regionalist and even separatist parties.

In exchange for their support, separatist parties from northeastern Spain's Catalonia region