Vote of no confidence against Spain’s PM fails

SPAIN’S Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy survives a vote of no confidence.

Rajoy’s government comfortably saw off the vote, with 170 against, 82 for and 97 abstainers.

The numbers are not however as clear as they seem. Although PSOE’s members abstained, there was a clear consensus in the two days of debates that, apart from Ciudadanos, the other parties wanted the Partido Popular out of power.

PSOE’s spokesman Luis Abalos explained that although they did not see Mariano Rajoy as fit to lead, they did not see Pablo Iglesias as the right candidate to replace him, and will decide their own strategy going forwards.

The left-wing party Podemos brought forward the motion following a string of corruption charges involving members of the PP, some of which Rajoy has been summoned to as a witness.

There have only been two other votes of no confidence in Spain’s history, and both of those also failed. However, the momentum built from previous instances led to changes in government.