A motion of no confidence has been passed in Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy following a corruption scandal.

It passed by 180 votes to 169 with one abstention.

He is the first Spanish prime minister to lose such a vote since Spain transitioned to democracy in 1977.

Deputies were asked individually in the lower house of parliament, the Congress of Deputies, whether or not they supported the motion on Friday morning.

This was done in an individual roll-call of deputies.

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, bottom right, waves as members of his party applaud him during the second day of a motion of no confidence session at the Spanish parliament in Madrid | Image: Francisco Seco/AP/Press Association Images

This means Pedro Sánchez, the leader of the opposition PSOE party, is the new prime minister.

Mr Sanchez (46) is expected to take office by Monday, after King Felipe VI swears him in.

He is also expected to appoint his cabinet next week.

Mr Sanchez has already committed to respecting a budget passed by Mr Rajoy.

He has also promised to start talks with the Catalans over their bid for independence, but said he will not give them another referendum.

His party has a narrow majority in the 350-seat lower house.

Pedro Sánchez smiles at the start of the second day of a motion of no confidence session at the Spanish parliament in Madrid | Image: Francisco Seco/AP/Press Association Images

Mr Rajoy told the Spanish parliament he was proud of his record.

"It has been an honour to leave Spain better than I found it. Thank you to all Spaniards and good luck," he said.

The vote of no-confidence came after 29 former members of his conservative Popular Party were convicted of corruption last week.

The Spanish National Court found bribes were offered to former officials in exchange for public contracts.

The party also received a fine as a beneficiary of the kickbacks-for-contracts scheme. </s> Tomorrow, a no-confidence vote could be held in the Spanish Parliament. The present situation is such that it appears that the sitting Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, could end up losing that vote, as the socialist contender, Pedro Sanchez, is already staring down the barrel of an absolute majority in backing from the members of the parliament. The absolute majority victory of 176 votes would allow Sanchez to immediately assume power, while he is presently expected to see better results than that.

Should Rajoy lose this vote, as is expected, then he would become the first Spanish Prime Minister to lose a no-confidence vote. With two pro-independence parties supporting Sanchez, his victory in the parliamentary vote would put him in a position to be able to conduct constructive dialogue with the Catalonian secessionists. Between the Catalonian secession movement and the economic crisis that has gripped the Southern European nation, Rajoy’s record of failure to bring a viable solution to these issues has brought a lack of confidence in his leadership abilities, not less than issues of corruption.

The Basque Nationalist Party will vote against Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in a no-confidence motion, Cadena Ser radio and La Sexta television said on Thursday, in a move that would almost certainly force him from office. Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez needs an absolute majority of 176 votes to become Spain’s new Prime Minister, and information from various parties suggested he had now secured 180. Rajoy’s departure would trigger a second political crisis in southern Europe, further unnerving financial markets already wrongfooted by failed attempts to form a government in Italy three months after a national election. It was not clear if Rajoy could resign before the vote takes place on Friday to avoid the humiliation of becoming the first Spanish Prime Minister to lose a no-confidence vote. Rajoy did not attend the afternoon session of the debate on Thursday. If he did, the motion would automatically become groundless and the government of the People’s Party would go into caretaker mode until a new prime minister is sworn in, something which could take several weeks or months. If the vote did go ahead and Rajoy lost it, then Sanchez would immediately become Prime Minister.

This change of government in yet another Southern European nation is taking place almost simultaneously with the changes that are occurring in Italy, where, after three months, a Prime Minister has managed to take office with his delegation of ministers to head the country’s government. Earlier in the week, the sitting President vetoed the incoming Prime Minister’s ministerial lineup, largely over the nominated Minister of Finance, who was of a disposition hostile to the Eurozone and the common currency, thereby stoking fears that Italy could exit the common currency under such a government. Today, however, Giuseppe Conte successfully brought his revamped line up to their posts, ending months of uncertainty surrounding the political position of Italy and its participation in the bloc.

Donate Gift €20 or more and we'll send you our super awesome mug absolutely FREE! Your donations allow us to hire more writers and broaden our reach to those seeking the truth. Will you help expose the lies of the mainstream media? As a reader of The Duran, you are well aware of all the propaganda and disinformation reported by the mainstream media. You know how important it is to bring real news to light. Please support The Duran and help us keep reporting on news that is fair, balanced, and real. </s> Spanish lawmakers on Wednesday reaffirmed their confidence in Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy as they voted down a no-confidence motion brought by the anti-austerity Podemos party.

MADRID: Spanish lawmakers on Wednesday voted down a no-confidence motion in Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy brought by the anti-austerity Podemos party.

The motion had not been expected to garner the majority of votes needed to oust Rajoy given the Socialists had said they would abstain and the liberal Ciudadanos and other smaller regional parties had said they would vote against the proposal.

But the move from Podemos was primarily aimed at portraying the party as leader of the opposition to the centre-right government at a time when the Socialists have just picked a new leader and are struggling with falling support, analysts say.

"We are on the right track to build up an alternative majority," Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias said after the vote.

"Today, we are one step closer to removing the People's Party from the institutions."

The motion was rejected with 170 votes against, 82 votes for and 97 abstentions, roughly in line with the breakdown when Rajoy was voted in as prime minister last year, showing there has been no change in the balance of power in parliament.

Rajoy, who has secured support for the budget and obtained as a result at least two years of stability, said he was satisfied with the outcome of the vote.

"It has been rejected by a wide majority and this means we will be able to keep working," he told journalists. </s> MADRID (AP) - Spanish lawmakers have begun debating a motion of no confidence against conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, called in protest over the large number of corruption scandals involving his ruling Popular Party.

The motion to be voted on after the debate Tuesday was proposed by the far-left Podemos party but it is unlikely to get the required backing of an absolute majority of deputies needed to oust Rajoy.

Podemos, with 71 deputies in the 350-seat parliament, is presenting the party's ponytailed leader, Pablo Iglesias, as an alternative candidate to replace Rajoy.

Rajoy, who heads a minority government, has been dragged into the most damaging of the corruption cases involving the Popular Party, an alleged kickbacks-for-contracts scheme to finance party activities. He testifies as a witness in the case July 26. </s> The Latest on moves to oust Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy (all times local):

Mariano Rajoy has told the Spanish parliament that he is proud of his record as prime minister in brief remarks ahead of a no-confidence vote that appears set to give the power to the opposition Socialists.

Rajoy told lawmakers on Friday: "It has been a honor to leave Spain better than I found it. Thank you to all Spaniards and good luck."

Rajoy's likely removal follows corruption convictions last week involving former members of his conservative Popular Party.

Backed by a narrow majority in the 350-seat lower house, Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez appears set to become prime minister-designate. The final vote has been called for 0900 GMT.

Socialist opposition leader Pedro Sanchez is on the brink of ending Mariano Rajoy's more than six-year reign as Spanish prime minister in what would be the first ouster of a serving leader by parliament in four decades of democracy.

Barring last-minute surprises, a no-confidence vote that would oust Rajoy and make Sanchez prime minister-designate is expected to pass by a narrow majority in parliament's 350-seat lower house.

Rajoy's likely removal follows corruption convictions last week involving former members of his conservative Popular Party.

The prime minister wasn't in the Congress of Deputies on Friday morning when the debate resumed on the motion ahead of a final vote. He didn't attend Thursday afternoon either, going instead to a central Madrid restaurant with some members of his cabinet. </s> UNDER FIRE: Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy (inset) is under pressure after the Gurtel ruling

THE centrist Ciudadanos party has demanded that Mariano Rajoy’s government hold national elections early as the Prime Minister faced the introduction of a no confidence motion today.

The call comes as the main opposition party, the left-leaning Partido Socialista (PSOE), said they had presented the motion in the Spanish parliament following a meeting this morning. Senior party members were discussing how to go forward in the wake of the Gurtel corruption scandal.

The probe saw Rajoy’s ruling conservative Partido Popular (PP) slapped with a more than €245,000 fine after Spain’s High Court ruled it profited from contract kickbacks between 1999 and 2006.

Rajoy said in a television interview yesterday that any case of corruption is “regrettable” and that understanding and dialogue would be needed going forward.

He said today the motion was bad for all Spaniards and that it would harm the country's economy, with it coming soon after the passage of the national budget.

"The motion is for the sole interest of Mr Sanchez and his place in Spanish politics. It is for him to become the leader of the govenment at the price of anyone and anything," he said.

Albert Rivera, the leader of Ciudadanos, wrote on Twitter his party supported a “democratic solution” which would come either from elections or a motion of censure (no confidence).

“We need a clean and strong government. The future is decided by the Spaniards,” he said.

Pedro Sanchez, the leader of the PSOE, said earlier today he had given the order for his party to lodge the motion in the Congress of Deputies, the lower house of parliament.

The PSOE’s version of the motion puts forward Sanchez as a candidate for the premiership, which would see him unseat Rajoy if it is passed by a majority of lawmakers.

The party reportedly has the support of the far-left Podemos party, who issued their own call for a motion of no confidence earlier this week.

Ciudadanos, who currently backs the minority PP government on key votes in Parliament, have ruled out supporting the PSOE's motion. Their backing is a deciding factor in tipping the balance in favour of it passing.

The party's General Secretary Jose Manuel Villegas said his party had instead demanded Roajoy call early elections.

Under the Spanish Constitution’s Article 115 this would be impossible if a motion of no confidence were active. </s> Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, right, reacts after Spanish lawmakers voted down a no-confidence motion brought by the anti-austerity Podemos in Parliament in Madrid, Spain June 14, 2017. Photo - Reuters Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, right, reacts after Spanish lawmakers voted down a no-confidence motion brought by the anti-austerity Podemos in Parliament in Madrid, Spain June 14, 2017.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Times of Oman. </s> MADRID (AP) — Conservative Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has won as expected a vote of no-confidence presented in Parliament by far-left lawmakers who intended to highlight the corruption that has tainted the ruling Popular Party.

The 16-hour debate since Tuesday leading to Wednesday’s vote saw Rajoy facing the leader of Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, who was proposed as candidate for alternative prime minister despite not having enough support in the lower house.

Rajoy bragged about his government’s record in creating jobs and boosting growth that lifted Spain’s economy out of recession. Iglesias and his supporters highlighted graft investigations into the funding of the ruling party.

The motion was backed by 82 lawmakers, with 170 voting against it and 97 abstaining.

Following the vote, Iglesias promised to keep working to oust the Popular Party. </s> Spain’s parliament on Friday ousted Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in a no-confidence vote sparked by fury over his party’s corruption woes, with his Socialist arch-rival Pedro Sanchez automatically taking over.

An absolute majority of 180 lawmakers voted for the motion to loud applause and shouts of “Yes we can,” converting Rajoy into the first prime minister to be ousted by such a vote since Spain transitioned to democracy in 1977.

The bespectacled 63-year-old leader got up and shook hands with Sanchez before leaving the lower house without a word.

Rajoy had already admitted defeat minutes before the vote, knowing that an absolute majority of lawmakers as diverse as Catalan separatists and Basque nationalists had pledged their support for the no-confidence motion.

“It’s been an honour — there is none bigger — to have been Spain’s prime minister,” he told parliament, with lawmakers from his conservative Popular Party (PP) giving him a standing ovation.

Sanchez, Spain’s 46-year-old opposition leader, had instigated the no-confidence motion last week after a court revealed details of a vast system of bribes given to former PP officials in exchange for lucrative public contracts between 1999-2005.

After years of anger over the scandals tainting the PP, corruption finally got the better of the party and sealed Rajoy’s downfall.

“Today we are signing a new page in the history of democracy in our country,” Sanchez told parliament prior to the vote.

But PP lawmaker Rafael Hernando told him he would be entering the prime minister’s office “through the back door” after failing to win 2015 and 2016 general elections.

“For the first time we may get a prime minister who didn’t win elections,” he retorted.

In order to push through the no-confidence motion, the Socialists, who hold just 84 of the parliament’s 350 seats, had to cosy up to parties they had previously clashed with, like Catalan separatists and the anti-establishment Podemos.

As such, even if he has pledged to govern long enough to restore “institutional stability” before calling early elections, Sanchez‘s new government will likely be highly unstable.

Podemos has already asked to be part of his new government.

Aitor Esteban of the Basque PNV nationalist party, whose support proved decisive for the motion’s success, on Thursday warned that such a minority government would be “weak and difficult, complicated.”

“This is going to be a constant bing, bang, boom.”

Although Rajoy survived a similar no-confidence vote last year, Friday’s ballot draws a line under his rollercoaster time in office which began in 2011 and saw him implementing drastic spending cuts before winning re-election in 2015 and 2016.

Despite winning the last two votes, he lacked the absolute majority of his first term.

He put Spain back onto the path of growth after a devastating economic crisis although unemployment remains sky-high, jobs precarious and many complain inequalities have risen.

But his term in office was also marred by a series of corruption scandals involving former PP members.

Last week the National Court, which deals with major criminal cases, sentenced 29 people with links to the PP, including a former treasurer, to a total of 351 years in jail.

It also ordered the party to pay back 245,000 euros ($290,000) received from the scheme to help finance election campaigns.

Rajoy became Spain’s first sitting prime minister to give evidence at trial when he was called as a witness last year.

In its ruling, the court said the credibility of Rajoy’s testimony “should be questioned”.

During Thursday’s pre-vote debate, Rajoy said the corruption case “does not concern members of the government” and repeated the party’s argument that only a tiny number of its politicians have been tainted by corruption.

He also hit back by listing the many graft cases involving the Socialists over the years.

“Are you Mother Teresa of Calcutta? With what moral authority do you speak?” he told Sanchez.
The debate on a motion of no confidence against Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's government takes place at the Congress of Deputies, with a vote scheduled tomorrow. With an expected 180 votes against 176 needed, leader of the Opposition, socialist Pedro Sánchez, could immediately become the next Prime Minister.