MADRID — Spain's parliament rejected Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez's bid to be confirmed as prime minister on Thursday, putting the country on the path to what could be its fourth national election in as many years.

Sanchez's failure to strike the coalition deal he needed in order to stay on as prime minister highlighted how tense and fragmented Spain's political landscape has become, and there is no guarantee that a new election would fix that.

The 47-year-old, sometimes nicknamed the "comeback kid" for overcoming a series of setbacks to become prime minister last year, in theory has until mid-September to win parliament's backing.

But the Socialists said this month they would give up trying to install him if he failed to secure confirmation in July.

"I want to be Spain's prime minister, but not at any price," Sanchez told lawmakers ahead of the vote, adding that the far-left Unidas Podemos party with whom he had hoped to form a coalition had made unacceptable demands.

"If in order to become prime minister I need to give up on my principles, if I need to form a government knowing it won't be useful for the country, then it won't be done now."

Sanchez did not say what his next step would be.

If he does decide against a further attempt, or seeks parliament's backing again but is unsuccessful, a repeat election will be held on Nov. 10.

Sanchez's Socialists won a snap election in April, but fell short of an absolute majority.

Three months of tense talks marked by constant criticism of the other side and a visible lack of trust between Sanchez and Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias do not necessarily bode well for any further attempts.

The men exchanged angry words in parliament this week, but Iglesias on Thursday urged Sanchez to give coalition talks another try.

"I'm reaching out again: Don't take Spain to elections, negotiate with us with respect," Iglesias told Sanchez in parliament ahead of the vote.

But Sanchez could be seen shaking his head as Iglesias spelled out his conditions.

The negotiations became deadlocked on the question of what role and what power Podemos would have in a new government. Each side accused the other of negotiating in bad faith.

Smaller parties harshly criticized them for that.

Gabriel Rufian, a member of parliament for the left-wing ERC Catalan party, said both the Socialists and Podemos were being irresponsible, and could end up ushering the far-right Vox party under Santiago Abascal into government.

"What do they think would happen with new elections on Nov. 10? Do they want Abascal as defense minister?" he said.

Sanchez lost Thursday's vote by a wide margin, receiving the support of only his own 123 Socialist lawmakers and one from Cantabria. Everybody else either abstained or voted against him.

Sanchez's election win in April spelled hope for social democrats in Europe and gave him a role in European Union talks, but troubles at home could hamper his ambitions on the European scene as well. — Reuers