Spain: Mariano Rajoy Wins Parliament Vote To Lead Minority Government

Spain’s Parliament voted Saturday to allow Mariano Rajoy to be re-elected as Prime Minister, and effectively ending a 10-month long deadlock.

Following the vote — 170 in favor, 111 against with 68 abstentions — Rajoy announced that next Thursday he will name his Cabinet.

Before the vote, Rajoy told the Parliament that, “Spain can be governed, and in a good way, even though there doesn’t exist a majority.”

Rajoy has led a caretaker government after his Popular Party failed to gain a majority in the December 2015 general elections, and a repeat election last June.

Saturday’s vote came after Rajoy gained the support of the Citizen’s Party and the Socialist Party.

Rajoy promised he is willing “to correct that which deserves to be corrected, to improve all that needs to be improved, and to concede in that which it is reasonable to do so.”