Spain's Sanchez will go ahead with PM confirmation vote, risking new election

FILE PHOTO: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks at a news conference after a European Union summit in Brussels, Belgium, June 21, 2019. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/File Photo

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will next Tuesday set a date for a parliamentary vote on whether he can stay on in the role, a Socialist party source said, triggering a two-month countdown that could potentially lead to a new election.

Sanchez's Socialists won a national election in April without securing a majority of seats in a fragmented assembly, meaning they need to secure the support of other parties to govern.