BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Rising conservative politician Pablo Casado has been elected as new leader of Spain's Popular Party in a landslide victory, ending a bitter and divisive election.

The 37-year-old lawyer beat his opponent, former deputy prime minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, with 1701 votes against 1250 on Saturday.

Casado succeeds former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy who stepped down last month after losing a parliamentary vote to his socialist opponent, Pedro Sanchez, in the wake of graft convictions for members of the PP.

"We must return to the center of Spanish society to make sure our work is not undone," Casado said in his victory speech. He also promised to defend the values of "life and family."

Casado was chief of staff to then Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar from 2009 to 2012. </s> Socialist Pedro Sánchez has been sworn in as the new prime minister of Spain, following the ousting of conservative Mariano Rajoy.

He took the oath alongside King Felipe VI in a brief ceremony in Madrid. </s> Madrid (CNN) Pedro Sánchez was sworn in Saturday as Spain's Prime Minister, a day after ousting scandal-hit political rival Mariano Rajoy in a no-confidence vote.

Sánchez, who leads the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, took the oath of office before King Felipe VI at the Zarzuela Palace near Madrid. He was the first Spanish Prime Minister to be sworn in without a Bible or crucifix, according to his party.

"I promise by my conscience and honor to faithfully fulfill the obligations of the office of President of the Government with loyalty to the King, and to keep and enforce the Constitution as the fundamental norm of the State," Sánchez said.

Rajoy was present at the ceremony, shook Sánchez's hand and wished him good luck.

Pedro Sánchez takes the oath of office Saturday at the Zarzuela Palace outside Madrid.

The 46-year-old politician faces significant challenges as he assumes office. Spain was riven last year by the Catalan independence crisis, which remains unresolved , and many Spaniards continue to feel the effects of the global economic crisis.

Sánchez -- a pro-European economics professor who was a keen basketball player in his youth -- previously said he would call for snap elections should he become Prime Minister.

Sánchez will work on his Cabinet this weekend, and it will be announced at some point next week, his party said.

His Socialists secured support for the no-confidence motion from a number of other parties in parliament, including the anti-austerity Podemos, Catalan pro-independence parties and the Basque Nationalist Party.

Since his own party holds only 84 seats in the 350-seat chamber, Sánchez will need to keep those parties, with their differing agendas, on his side in order to pass any legislation.

Catalonia's separatist President Quim Torra called Saturday for dialogue with Sánchez as members of the Catalan regional executive were sworn in in Barcelona, ending seven months of direct rule by Madrid.

"President Pedro Sánchez: Let's talk and let's meet," Torra said. "Let's take risks, from your side and our side. Let's sit at the same table and negotiate from government to government. This situation we are experiencing can't go on any longer."

Some of the Cabinet members wore yellow at their swearing-in ceremony to recall Catalan separatists who remain in prison or in self-imposed exile over their role in the independence bid. Among those is Carles Puigdemont , the former president of Catalonia, who is currently in Germany.

Posting Friday on Twitter, Sánchez promised a fresh start for the country. "Spain starts a new page. A period to recover the dignity of its institutions. From responsibility, dialogue and consensus, it is time to work for equality, to build a country that does not leave anyone behind," he said.

Rajoy had been in power since 2011 as the head of the Popular Party. On Friday, he became the first leader in Spain's modern democracy to lose a no-confidence vote in parliament.

Rajoy's party has been plagued with corruption allegations for years. Rajoy has faced the humiliation of testifying in cases against its members, though he has not been among the accused.

The confidence motion was filed by Sánchez after a court convicted Rajoy's former aides of running slush funds to help finance Popular Party election campaigns. The court also questioned the credibility of Rajoy's testimony during the proceedings.

It was the first time in Spain that a party had been convicted and fined on corruption-related charges. </s> MADRID—Pedro Sanchez was sworn in as Spain’s prime minister Saturday, a day after the Socialist leader successfully ousted predecessor Mariano Rajoy, who lost a no-confidence vote in parliament. Rajoy was in attendance at the ceremony held in the royal Zarzuela Palace and shook Sanchez’s hand after the new leader was sworn in by King Felipe VI before they posed for a photo with the monarch along with the speakers of the lower Congress of Deputies and the Senate.

Sanchez took an oath of loyalty to the King and to Spain’s Constitution. He did so without swearing on the Bible or Crucifix, a first for a Spanish prime minister since the restoration of the democracy. Sanchez toppled Rajoy following a court ruling in a major corruption case involving the conservative leader’s Popular Party. Parliament voted 180-169 Friday to replace Rajoy’s government with one led by Sanchez. One lawmaker abstained. Spain is the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy and an influential member of the European Union. Sanchez and his party are staunch supporters of the EU and the shared currency.

Sanchez will lead a minority government and will need the support of both the far-left Podemos (We Can) party and the backing of a motley crew of regional parties and Catalan secessionists to get anything done in government. Sanchez has pledged to open talks with the separatist leader of northeastern Catalonia, which is set to recover the large degree of self-rule after chief Quim Torra swears in his Cabinet later Saturday.

Forming a Catalan government will automatically end the extraordinary takeover by Spain’s central powers of the region as part of its crackdown following a failed declaration of independence by Catalonia in October. Sanchez, 46, is Spain’s seventh prime minister since the return to democracy following the death of dictator Gen. Francisco Franco in 1975. </s> Mariano Rajoy is to step down as leader of Spain’s conservative People’s party (PP) after being ousted as prime minister last week in a no-confidence vote called amid anger over corruption within the party.



Announcing his decision on Tuesday afternoon, Rajoy said: “It’s best for me and for the PP. I think it’s also best for Spain.”

Rajoy, who served as prime minister for almost seven years, said that while he could not imagine life outside the party, the time had come for him to go.

“I’ve been a grassroots member and party leader,” he said. “I’ve been a councillor and prime minister. But now it’s time to bring it to an end. The PP will carry on moving forward with its history of service to the Spanish people.”

The party’s executive committee is due to meet in the next few days to call a conference to elect his successor and begin what Rajoy termed “a new phase”. He will remain in position until his replacement is chosen.



Rajoy, 63, was often described as the great survivor of Spanish politics, but he was forced from office last Friday after parliament passed the motion of no-confidence by 180 votes to 169, with one abstention.

The motion had been proposed by the socialist PSOE party after Spain’s highest criminal court found that the PP had benefitted from a kickbacks-for-contracts scheme in a case that became emblematic of the party’s corruption. Judges in the case also questioned the credibility of Rajoy’s testimony when he was called to give evidence as a witness.

Pedro Sánchez, the PSOE leader, was sworn in as prime minister on Saturday. He has promised to address the country’s “pressing social needs” and to call a general election before the end of the current legislature in 2020.

Sánchez has also offered dialogue to try to resolve the Catalan independence crisis. On Tuesday, it was announced that Josep Borrell, a former European parliament president, would serve as Spain’s new foreign minister.

Borrell, who was born in Catalonia and was a minister in the PSOE government of Felipe González, has been an outspoken critic of Catalan independence.

In October last year, he dismissed the rhetoric being used by some in the independence movement.

“Catalonia isn’t like Lithuania, Kosovo or Algeria,” he said. “It’s not an occupied or militarised territory.” </s> MADRID (AP) — Pedro Sanchez was sworn in as Spain's prime minister Saturday, a day after the Socialist leader successfully ousted predecessor Mariano Rajoy who lost a no-confidence vote in parliament.

Rajoy was in attendance at the ceremony held in the royal Zarzuela Palace and shook Sanchez's hand after the new leader was sworn in by King Felipe VI before they posed for a photo with the monarch along with the speakers of the lower Congress of Deputies and the Senate.

Sanchez took an oath of loyalty to the King and to Spain's Constitution. He did so without swearing on the Bible or Crucifix, a first for a Spanish prime minister since the restoration of the democracy.

Sanchez toppled Rajoy following a court ruling in a major corruption case involving the conservative leader's Popular Party. Parliament voted 180-169 Friday to replace Rajoy's government with one led by Sanchez. One lawmaker abstained.

Spain is the eurozone's No. 4 economy and an influential member of the European Union. Sanchez and his party are staunch supporters of the EU and the shared currency.

Sanchez has vowed to fight corruption and help those Spaniards affected by years of public spending cuts under Rajoy's government. He also pledged to hold an election soon, while not setting a date.

Sanchez will lead a minority government and will need the support of both the far-left Podemos (We Can) party and the backing of a motley crew of regional parties and Catalan secessionists to get anything done in government.

Sanchez has pledged to open talks with the separatist leader of northeastern Catalonia, which is set to recover the large degree of self-rule after chief Quim Torra swears in his Cabinet later Saturday.

The forming of a Catalan government will automatically end the extraordinary takeover by Spain's central powers of the region as part of its crackdown following a failed declaration of independence by Catalonia in October.

The 46-year-old Sanchez is Spain's seventh prime minister since the return to democracy following the death of dictator Gen. Francisco Franco in 1975. </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> Pedro Sánchez has led a fragile minority government since becoming prime minister in June CHEMA MOYA/EPA

Spain will go to the polls in April for its third general election in four years after its Socialist government failed to pass the national budget this week.

Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister who came to power only eight months ago, announced the snap election today for April 28.

“Between two options — not doing anything and continuing without a budget or giving Spaniards their say — I choose the second,” he said. “Spain needs to keep advancing, progressing with tolerance, respect, moderation and common sense.”

Mr Sánchez, 46, has led a fragile minority government since becoming prime minister in June, with the Socialists holding only 84 of the 350 seats in parliament. His party relied on the support of Basque and Catalan nationalist parties… </s> MADRID -- Pedro Sanchez was sworn in as Spain's prime minister Saturday, a day after the Socialist leader successfully ousted predecessor Mariano Rajoy who lost a no-confidence vote in parliament. Rajoy was in attendance at the ceremony held in the royal Zarzuela Palace and shook Sanchez's hand after the new leader was sworn in by King Felipe VI before they posed for a photo with the monarch along with the speakers of the lower Congress of Deputies and the Senate.

Sanchez took an oath of loyalty to the King and to Spain's Constitution. He did so without swearing on the Bible or Crucifix, a first for a Spanish prime minister since the restoration of the democracy.

Sanchez toppled Rajoy following a court ruling in a major corruption case involving the conservative leader's Popular Party. Parliament voted 180-169 Friday to replace Rajoy's government with one led by Sanchez. One lawmaker abstained.

Spain is the eurozone's No. 4 economy and an influential member of the European Union. Sanchez and his party are staunch supporters of the EU and the shared currency.

Sanchez has vowed to fight corruption and help those Spaniards affected by years of public spending cuts under Rajoy's government. He also pledged to hold an election soon, while not setting a date.

Sanchez will lead a minority government and will need the support of both the far-left Podemos (We Can) party and the backing of a motley crew of regional parties and Catalan secessionists to get anything done in government.

Sanchez has pledged to open talks with the separatist leader of northeastern Catalonia, which is set to recover the large degree of self-rule after chief Quim Torra swears in his Cabinet later Saturday.

The forming of a Catalan government will automatically end the extraordinary takeover by Spain's central powers of the region as part of its crackdown following a failed declaration of independence by Catalonia in October.

The 46-year-old Sanchez is Spain's seventh prime minister since the return to democracy following the death of dictator Gen. Francisco Franco in 1975.
Xavier Espot Zamora is elected the new Prime Minister by the General Council, succeeding Antoni Martí.