Spain PM Mariano Rajoy secures votes to form minority govt

Spain's Parliament has voted to approve acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's bid to form a new minority government, putting an end to the country's 10-month political deadlock.

Rajoy, leader of the conservative Popular Party, won a second term as prime minister on Saturday with a 170-111 vote and 68 abstentions.

He needed a majority in the 350-seat Parliament during a first confidence vote Thursday, but was rejected. He only needed more votes in favour than against during the second vote.

Going into the balloting, Rajoy had the support of 170 lawmakers, 137 of them from his own party.

The rival Socialist party broke the deadlock by agreeing last week to abstain from the second vote. Several of its members nonetheless voted against Rajoy on Saturday.

 

Rajoy will likely be sworn in before King Felipe VI on Sunday.