Rajoy’s demise paves the way for Pedro Sanchez, the leader of the main opposition Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), to become Prime Minister.
Rajoy’s fall follows years of corruption allegations against his Popular Party. The scandal culminated last week in a court convicting his former aides of running slush funds to help finance Popular Party election campaigns.
Rajoy’s fate was sealed after the Socialists secured support for the no confidence motion Thursday from a number of smaller parties in Parliament, including the Basque Nationalist Party.
In total, 180 of the chamber’s 350 lawmakers voted in support of the motion, a clear majority. There were 169 votes against and one abstention. It was the first time in Spain’s post-1977 democracy that a Spanish Prime Minister has fallen in this way.
Rajoy shook hands with his successor Pedro Sanchez to congratulate him after the results were announced.
Ana Pastor, President of the Spanish Parliament, announced that Sanchez has “the trust of the Parliament” and so becomes the new Prime Minister of Spain.
He received a standing ovation, with parliamentarians shouting: “Yes, it can be done.”
Sanchez has previously said that he would call for snap elections should he become prime minister.
Rajoy: ‘A better Spain’
Rajoy had effectively conceded defeat ahead of the vote, congratulating Sanchez on his expected win in a brief address to Parliament.
“In light of what we all know, I presume that the vote of no confidence will go ahead, and Pedro Sánchez will become the Prime Minister and I want to be the first to congratulate him,” Rajoy said.
“I will accept the result of the vote as the democrat I am, but I cannot agree with what has been done.”
Visibly moved as he gave what may be his last address as Spain’s leader, Rajoy also thanked those in his party and the Spanish people. “It has been an honor to be the Prime Minister of Spain, it has been an honor to leave a better Spain than I found,” he said.
“I wish my substitute could say the same when his day comes, for the good of Spain.”
Before Rajoy’s arrival, Rafael Hernando, spokesman for the Popular Party in Parliament, asked Sanchez to withdraw the vote of no confidence, saying that he was proud of Rajoy as Prime Minister. “He is an honest man who has worked tirelessly to rebuild a country that the PSOE left devastated,” he said.
However, Margarita Robles, spokeswoman for the Socialist Party in Parliament said: “Spain does not deserve a prime minister who is not here and who lies in the courts of justice to cover corruption.”
Slush funds
On Thursday, Rajoy chose not to attend a parliamentary debate on his future, when several opposition parties openly said their lawmakers would vote against him. That meant 180 of parliament’s 350 members, a clear majority, would voice their lack of confidence in the leader.
Rajoy’s Popular Party has been plagued with corruption allegations for years. Rajoy has faced the humiliation of testifying in cases against members of his party, though he has not been among the accused.
The confidence motion was filed by Sanchez after a court convicted Rajoy’s former aides of running slush funds to help finance Popular Party election campaigns. The court also questioned the credibility of Rajoy’s testimony during the proceedings.
It was the first time in Spain that a party had been convicted and fined on corruption-related charges.
CNN’s Laura Perez Maestro reported from Madrid and Laura Smith-Spark wrote from London. CNN’s Angela Dewan and Tim Lister contributed to this report.
Source : Nbcnewyork
