Will Spain's king nominate Pedro Sánchez as a candidate without a majority?

On Monday and Tuesday, 2 and 3 October, King Felipe VI will receive the representatives of the political parties with parliamentary representation to evaluate the possibility of designating the current leader of the PSOE and acting President, Pedro Sánchez, as candidate for Prime Minister. 

Following the refusal of Esquerra Republicana, Junts per Catalunya, EH Bildu and Bloque Nacionalista Gallego to attend the meeting at the Zarzuela Palace, the numbers make it impossible for Pedro Sánchez to obtain the majority required to be designated. 

Adding all the votes of the parties in favour of bringing the Socialist leader back into an encore coalition government, i.e. PSOE, SUMAR, PNV and possibly UPN and Coalición Canaria, Sánchez would have secured between 157 and 159. This is the accounting that the House of the King will do.  

In his meeting with King Felipe, candidate Pedro Sánchez will want to include the favourable vote of those absent from the Zarzuela, who between them number 21 deputies. But, as happened in the previous consultation in which the King designated Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the King can only count the explicit, verbal and face-to-face support that the political parties give him, and not by delegation or by promise of the candidate of the day. Pedro Sánchez cannot speak on behalf of Esquerra, Junts, PNV or BNG; he can only do so on behalf of his party.  

In view of this, candidate Sánchez will only be able to boast a maximum of 159 supporters in Congress if the deputies of Coalición Canaria and Unión del Pueblo Navarro offer him their support after exchanges and promises. 

The question that arises is: will the King appoint Pedro Sánchez without having secured a majority of support, or will he call new general elections? Logic points to the second hypothesis. But political trickery can hold surprises in store.