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MADRID (AP) — Spanish lawmakers Thursday rejected conservative leader Mariano Rajoy's bid to form a minority government and end a 10-month political impasse, a move that pushes the decision on making him prime minister to a second round of voting later this week.
The result was expected as Rajoy, who has served as acting prime minister since December, lacked the support to win the absolute majority of votes in the 350-seat chamber needed in the first round. But a promised abstention by the leading opposition Socialist party on Saturday will likely see the Popular Party leader through.
Rajoy was defeated on a vote of 180-170.
Spain has been in an unprecedented state of political limbo after two inconclusive elections since December. Rajoy's party won the most seats both times, but fell short of a majority and could not reach agreement with other parties to form a coalition government.
Socialist spokesman Antonio Hernando said earlier Thursday that his party would vote no in the first round to show it rejected Rajoy's policies. He said the party, which has 84 deputies, would abstain in the second vote solely to avoid making Spaniards face a third election. His party suffered its worst-ever results in the past two elections.
Rajoy defended his candidacy, saying his party had won both elections and deserved to govern.
"Spain can't go on any longer without a fully-functioning government," he said.
Rajoy has the support of 170 lawmakers — 137 of them from his own party — leaving him six seats short of the 176 seats needed for a parliamentary majority.
A government must be in place by Monday or else a third election will have to be called.
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