Spain's parliament on Friday rejected the acting prime minister's second attempt this week to form a new government at a vote held in the lower chamber.
The investiture procedure failed when acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was backed by only 170 lawmakers, as opposed to 180 'no' votes.
Rajoy needed a simple majority, but was unable to garner support from most lawmakers.
The king has required a meeting with Pastor on Monday and will also need to speak to party leaders, including Rajoy and Pedro Sánchez, who leads Spain's main opposition Socialist Party.
Rajoy's bid to be reinstated as prime minister foundered when he found it impossible to persuade the Socialists to either back him in a so called "grand coalition" or to abstain from voting.
He had been able to reach an agreement with newcomer, business-friendly party Ciudadanos, who added 32 lawmakers to Rajoy's Popular Party which had 137 seats in parliament.
The other parties in the Spanish lower house voted against Rajoy's candidacy except for one vote from a regionalist Canary Island lawmaker.
Spain has had two inconclusive elections in the past eight months (Dec. 20 and June 26) and has remained under Rajoy's caretaker government as a fragmented parliamentary landscape has resulted in an extended political gridlock.
Rajoy had been Prime Minister since 2011.
Now that Rajoy's second bid for the premiership has foundered, a third general election looks almost inevitable.
Initially Rajoy's PP had suggested that the election could be held around Christmastime, but recently suggested the date could be brought forward.
For this to happen Spain's electoral law would need to be reformed in Parliament, a process most lawmakers would likely back.
Spain has never had to hold three successive elections in less than a year.
EFE
2/9/16
-
Related:
The investiture procedure failed when acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was backed by only 170 lawmakers, as opposed to 180 'no' votes.
Rajoy needed a simple majority, but was unable to garner support from most lawmakers.
- Ana Pastor, the speaker of the 350-seat lower chamber, informed lawmakers that the result would be communicated to the Head of State, King Felipe VI, who would decide what steps to take next.
The king has required a meeting with Pastor on Monday and will also need to speak to party leaders, including Rajoy and Pedro Sánchez, who leads Spain's main opposition Socialist Party.
Rajoy's bid to be reinstated as prime minister foundered when he found it impossible to persuade the Socialists to either back him in a so called "grand coalition" or to abstain from voting.
He had been able to reach an agreement with newcomer, business-friendly party Ciudadanos, who added 32 lawmakers to Rajoy's Popular Party which had 137 seats in parliament.
The other parties in the Spanish lower house voted against Rajoy's candidacy except for one vote from a regionalist Canary Island lawmaker.
Spain has had two inconclusive elections in the past eight months (Dec. 20 and June 26) and has remained under Rajoy's caretaker government as a fragmented parliamentary landscape has resulted in an extended political gridlock.
Rajoy had been Prime Minister since 2011.
Now that Rajoy's second bid for the premiership has foundered, a third general election looks almost inevitable.
Initially Rajoy's PP had suggested that the election could be held around Christmastime, but recently suggested the date could be brought forward.
For this to happen Spain's electoral law would need to be reformed in Parliament, a process most lawmakers would likely back.
Spain has never had to hold three successive elections in less than a year.
EFE
2/9/16
-
Related:
GR
FR
DE
ES
IT
RU
EU
No comments:
Post a Comment
Only News