Mariano Rajoy, one of the longest-serving prime ministers in office, must step down. Pedro Sánchez takes his place, but Spain's future remains uncertain.
A period of political uncertainty is beginning for Spain. Mariano Rajoy, prime minister since 2011, has lost a no-confidence vote and must therefore relinquish his position to the leader of the Socialist Party, Pedro Sánchez – or Pedro el guapo, as Spaniards call him.
Rajoy was one of the longest-serving European leaders in power, so much so that it was jokingly said he had nine lives – among other things, he survived a helicopter accident. He was also the first to invoke, in response to Catalonia's declaration of independence in October, Article 155 of the Constitution, which provides for the partial suspension of the powers of autonomous communities.
The no-confidence motion was tabled by Sánchez last week, after senior figures in the People's Party – to which Rajoy belongs – were convicted of corruption following the scandal that became known as the Gürtel case. The decisive factor was the decision by the Basque Nationalist Party to vote against the now former prime minister alongside socialists, separatists, Podemos members and minor parties: the no-confidence motion was passed today with 180 votes in favour, 169 against and one abstention.
"A new page in the history of democracy is opening," commented Pedro Sánchez, who thus becomes the new Spanish prime minister with a socialist, egalitarian and pro-European programme, and is set to govern with the support of a heterogeneous coalition that does not appear capable of achieving concrete results, beyond steering the country towards new elections.
