Spanish king calls national election

Spain's King Felipe dissolved parliament on Tuesday and called a parliamentary election for June 26, the second in six months after an inconclusive ballot in late 2015 left its political landscape fragmented.

The new ballot follows four months of fruitless coalition talks between Spain's four main parties, including the conservative People's Party of acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, which won the most votes in December but lost its majority.

"Let's hope we've all learned our lesson and that the next parliament reaches an agreement (on forming a government) as soon as possible," speaker Patxi Lopez told a news conference, confirming the king had signed the election decree.