Spain’s PM Rajoy says has mandate to form government

While it took the largest share of the vote on Sunday, the PP lost its absolute majority in parliament and Rajoy now has the challenge of forming a stable government – a task that the runners-up were unwilling to make easy.

Two newcomer parties burst on to the scene, capitalising on many voters’ disenchantment with high unemployment, corruption scandals and the political status quo.

Meritxell Batat, the leader of the Socialist party (PSOE), said: “We will not facilitate the formation of this government and therefore we are going to vote no to the investiture of Mariano Rajoy precisely because we are the alternative to the Popular Party”. However, during the election campaign the Socialists ruled out taking part in an unprecedented governing coalition with the PP and Mr Luena’s comments go even further, emphasising his party’s active opposition to a new Rajoy administration.

Ciudadanos has said it will abstain in the vote, and while the PSOE has rejected Rajoy, it could agree not to vote against a conservative government that excludes the incumbent premier, said Fernando Vallespin, politics professor at Madrid’s Autonomous University.

Having only secured 90 seats of 350 in Spain’s Parliament, Sunday’s election results were the worst-ever in the history of Spain’s Socialist PSOE.

If Mr Rajoy failed to be voted in, the Socialists would then be given the chance to attempt the same, and elections would be held again if no government emerged.

The 37-year-old, whose cheap supermarket clothing contrasts sharply with the suits and boots of other party leaders, has managed to harness the anger of Spain’s “Indignants” anti-austerity movement into an influential political force. Though Podemos finished third behind Spain’s two establishment parties, Sunday’s results are a victory for an anti-austerity party that less than two years ago was only an idea in the minds of a handful of activists and academics. Podemos, which advocates territorial unity, is the only party to propose a Scotland-style referendum, in order, it says, to defuse tensions in the northeastern region.

“Many want an agreement that leads to the election of a prime minister, but they know it will be hard”.