Spain: Rajoy Turned Down Offer From King To Form Government

Spain’s acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said in a recent press briefing that he will maintain his candidature for Prime Minister, but that he still does not have sufficient support to be invested.

According to a Spanish government press release, following a week of talks initiated by His Majesty, King Felipe VI, Rajoy turned down an offer by the King to form a new government.

In the press statement, Rajoy confirmed that the King offered him the opportunity to stand at the investiture session as candidate for Prime Minister.

“I thanked him for this gesture and the deference he showed towards me, but I told him that I am not in a position at this time to stand for the investiture because not only do I not have a majority of votes to back me but that, furthermore, I have an absolute majority of accredited votes against me: 180 MPs at least,” Rajoy said.

“I don’t not have the votes at this time, and hence, it makes no sense for me to go there for the sole purpose of the two-month deadline starting to tick down as established by the Constitution,” Rajoy said.