27/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - Spanish people to return to ballot box. Faced with an inability of the main Spanish political parties to negotiate a stable coalition government, King Felipe VI has had to recommend the holding of a new general election. This will take place on Sunday 26 June, the date limit authorised under electoral law, just a few days after the British referendum on whether the United Kingdom will remain in the EU. In the meantime, the acting government will negotiate a further deadline for bringing its public deficit down to below the 3% GDP ceiling, despite the fact that this stood at almost 5.2% of GDP in 2015 (see EUROPE 11535). (MB)