Inconclusive results in Catalan election: what happens now?

Sunday's Catalan election saw the Socialists win more seats and more votes than any other party, but they are still far from a majority in the parliament. 

Salvador Illa, candidate for the Socialist Party, announced on Sunday night he would put himself forward for the presidential investiture debate, as a left-wing tripartite between the Socialists, Comuns Sumar, and pro-independence Esquerra is possible. 

Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, candidate for Junts+, came second in the running, with the pro-independence bloc together also falling short of a majority in the chamber for the first time in years. 

Puigdemont has also said he believes there are "options" to put himself forward in the investiture debate. 

So what happens next? Here's a timeline of how the next months in Catalan politics could pan out after inconclusive election results. 

Catalan politics 2024 timeline

MPs will have to be sworn into parliament 20 working days after the election. This means the deadline for this is June 10.

During this plenary session, lawmakers will also elect a parliament speaker and bureau. 

The first presidential investiture debate must then take place a maximum of ten working days afterwards. The latest possible date for this to happen will be June 25 and 26, as the presidential investiture debate takes place over two days. 

MPs will have two chances to vote on candidacies during this first presidential candidacy investitures; the first of which requires an absolute majority in the chamber, least 68 yes votes, while the second only needs a simple majority, more yes votes than no. 

If no candidate is named president, lawmakers and parties will have two months to start over again and try to gain the sufficient support to name a candidate president. 

If again no candidate is named president after these two months, the parliament will automatically be dissolved and new elections will be called 47 days later. 

Assuming that lawmakers take the maximum permitted time for each stage, then new elections could take place in October.