Spain's parliament dispatched conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his government with a no-confidence vote on Friday, setting up Socialist Party leader Pedro Sanchez to form a new government as soon as the king swears him in, possibly on Saturday. Rajoy had been prime minister for six years and his term was supposed to last until 2020, but corruption scandals in his Popular Party eroded his support. The final straw came last week when the High Court in Madrid identified his party as beneficiary of a kickback-for-contracts scheme and sent former party treasurer Luis Bárcenas to jail for 33 years.
Rajoy, 63, is the first Spanish prime minister booted from power by parliament since Spain returned to democracy in the the late 1970s. Sanchez, a 46-year-old economist, will become Spain's seventh prime minister in that time. He may have a hard time forming a government, however, since his party has less than a quarter of the seats in parliament. Sanchez won support from leftist and separatist parties to oust Rajoy, but it's not guaranteed that those parties will support his government. Sanchez's Socialist party is a staunch defender of the European Union and the euro currency.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Critics’ choice: Restaurants worthy of their buzzfeature A fun bistro, a reservation worth the wait, and a modern twist on Mexican dishes
-
Film reviews: Snow White, Death of a Unicorn, and The Alto KnightsFeature A makeover for Disney’s first animated feature, greedy humans earn nature’s wrath, and a feud between crime bosses rattles the mob
-
Bombs or talks: What’s next in the US-Iran showdown?Talking Points US gives Tehran a two-month deadline to deal
-
Sen. Booker's 25-hour speech beats ThurmondSpeed Read He spoke for the longest time in recorded Senate history, protesting the Trump administration's policies
-
Bondi seeks death penalty for Luigi MangioneSpeed Read Mangione was charged with fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year
-
Democrats win costly Wisconsin court seatSpeed Read Democrats prevailed in an election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court despite Elon Musk's robust financial support of the Republican candidate
-
WHCA rejects White House press seating grabSpeed Read The White House Correspondents' Association objected to the Trump administration's bid to control where journalists sit during press briefings
-
Trump sends more migrants to El Salvador jailSpeed Read Another 17 Venezuelan alleged gang members have been deported to a notorious prison
-
Trump 'not joking' about unconstitutional 3rd termSpeed Read The president seems to be serious about seeking a third term in 2028
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
-
Supreme Court upholds 'ghost gun' restrictionsSpeed Read Ghost guns can be regulated like other firearms
