Spanish investiture debate set for Aug. 30

Ana Pastor, speaker of the Spanish Congress, announced on Thursday that acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will present his candidacy to be returned to office at an investiture debate in the Spanish Congress on August 30.

She made the announcement hours after the leader of the People's Party (PP) Rajoy met Albert Rivera, the leader of the center-right formation, Ciudadanos, in the Spanish Congress.

That meeting came 24 hours after the Executive Committee of Rajoy's party gave him the freedom to negotiate a list of six measures Rivera last week presented as the conditions for supporting Rajoy's investiture.

Thursday saw Rajoy and Rivera agree to sign an anti-corruption pact, which Rajoy describes as a "decisive" step towards the formation of a new government and avoiding a possible third general election in a year.

He also said he had spoken to the Canary Island Coalition, who have one seat in congress, but admitted that even adding the 137 seats his party won in the June 26. election to the 32 won by Ciudadanos and Canary Island Coalition, that would still leave him short of the 176 needed for a majority.

As such Rajoy needs another party to support him in the first investiture vote where he needs an overall majority, or to abstain in the second vote 48 hours later a simple majority which would see him return to office.

The Spanish Constitution says that if Rajoy fails to win either of the two votes, then Congress would be dissolved two months later and new election be called 54 days later, which means that if a third election was called, it would be held on Dec. 25, Christmas Day. Endit