Off the wire
• European Parliament demands new EU watchdog for governance, rights  • China's agricultural fair draws record number of foreign traders  • U.S. stocks drift lower amid earnings reports  • Obama to travel to Greece, Germany, Peru next month  • Slovak parliament passes anti-letterbox law to improve transparency  • Nepal condemns terrorist attack in Pakistan's southwest Quetta city  • Dutch fishery fears loss because of Brexit  • IMF starts first review of Jordan's economy  • EU approves Chinese HNA's acquisition of Swiss SR Technics  • China stresses support for UN 45 years after restoration of lawful seat  
You are here: 　 Home

Acting PM Rajoy accepts invitation to form new Spanish government

Xinhua, October 26, 2016 Adjust font size:

Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Tuesday accepted the invitation of King Felipe VI to form a new government and end over 300 days of political stalemate in Spain.

Rajoy accepted the invitation after the latest round of talks the King held with leaders of Spain's political parties on Monday and Tuesday.

These talks come in the wake of the decision taken by the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) on Sunday to abstain the forthcoming investiture vote to allow Rajoy and his right wing People's Party to form a minority government with the support of the center-right party Ciudadanos.

Speaking at his residence in the Palacio de la Moncloa after Tuesday's announcement, Rajoy thanked the PSOE for a decision he described as "reasonable and responsible," as was that of Ciudadanos to support his party.

With the Socialists deeply divided over the decision to allow Rajoy to form a government and with the party still to elect a new leader following the recent resignation of Pedro Sanchez, the minority government Rajoy will form looks far from stable, but he insisted his aim was to remain in power for the next four years and "did not" expect the forthcoming legislature to be short.

Speaker Ana Pastor will announce the date for the start of the investiture debate in the near future with Rajoy expected to open proceedings on Thursday and with the first vote (in which the PSOE will vote against him) on Friday and a second (when they will abstain) 48 hours later. Enditem