Deadlock broken as Rajoy confirmed as Spain’s president
Mariano Rajoy at his election as president of Spain
Mariano Rajoy, leader of Spain’s right wing Popular Party, was sworn in as president of Spain on Monday 31 October, breaking 10 months of political deadlock.
The main left wing party, PSOE, let Rajoy take power after abstaining from an investiture vote in Congress on Saturday. This followed a huge rift in PSOE which saw its secretary general, Pedro Sanchez, resign on 1 October. The party is temporarily headed by Javier Fernandez.
Rajoy was sworn in by King Felipe VI at the Zarzuela Palace and will present his new ministers on Thursday. He will lead a minority government and will have to rely on deals with other parties to pass legislation.
Before the vote of confidence, Rajoy said: “Spain needs something more than a simple investiture; it needs a government that is in a position to govern…I am not asking for a blank cheque; I am asking for maturity.”
He added: “Today we are paving the way to the future, a future which, without a majority, means that we must all be responsible.”
The Catalan question
Rajoy is against independence for Catalunya. During the investiture debate, Rajoy said he had tried to talk with the Government of Catalunya and would continue to do so in the next legislature. He added that this dialogue required “a little flexibility” from Catalunya.
On Monday, a spokesperson for the Government of Catalunya, Neus Munté, said that Catalunya’s president Carles Puigdemont, who is working towards Catalan sovereignty, would telephone Rajoy to congratulate him. However, he would also request a meeting to discuss the a referendum on Catalan independence.
Saturday’s vote result was 170 votes in favour, 111 against and 68 abstentions.
