Socialists take power in Spain after no-confidence vote ousts conservative government


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.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
August 31 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include FEMA's new scheme, Gavin Newsom's antics, and a clue in the Epstein files
-
Disarming Hezbollah: Lebanon's risky mission
Talking Point Iran-backed militia has brought 'nothing but war, division and misery', but rooting them out for good is a daunting and dangerous task
-
Woof! Britain's love affair with dogs
The Explainer The UK's canine population is booming. What does that mean for man's best friend?
-
RFK Jr. names new CDC head as staff revolt
Speed Read Kennedy installed his deputy, Jim O'Neill, as acting CDC director
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich thrower
Speed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
White House fires new CDC head amid agency exodus
Speed Read CDC Director Susan Monarez was ousted after butting heads with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccines
-
DOGE put Social Security data at risk, official says
Speed Read DOGE workers made the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judges
Speed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges
-
Trump expands National Guard role in policing
Speed Read The president wants the Guard to take on a larger role in domestic law enforcement
-
Trump says he's firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Speed Read The move is likely part of Trump's push to get the central bank to cut interest rates
-
Abrego released from jail, faces Uganda deportation
Speed Read The wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego García is expected to be detained at an ICE check-in and deported to Uganda