Spanish King Felipe VI decided earlier in the day not to propose any candidacy for premiership for consideration by the parliament after holding consultations on Monday and Tuesday with the heads of parliamentary factions, including Sanchez, who is the leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party that won the April 28 election.
"The consultations are over. And the result is clear: there is no majority in Congress, so the country is doomed to repeat the elections in November," Sanchez said at a press conference.
Sanchez also blamed the opposition right-wing People's Party and centre-right Citizens party, as well as the left-wing Unidas Podemos, for derailing his parliamentary approval as prime minister.