I only have a very basic understanding of parliamentary systems, so correct me if I'm wrong on something. It's my impression that, in a particular house, parties have to form coalitions in order to elect a prime minister when no one gets a majority. Who is prime minister between the election that creates that situation and the coalitions formation and choosing of a PM?
Is it just the prime minister elected by the previous coalition? Can he/she stay in power as long as it takes parties to form a coalition to replace him? Feel like that could cause issues but not sure exactly how to articulate them. Maybe this works differently in different countries?