The path has been opened for acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to resume power in Spain after his rival party decided to no longer block his way.
The Socialists (PSOE) voted on Sunday to let a minority government led by Rajoy rule the country. The party’s executive committee’s decision was based on an outcome of 139 votes in favour against 96 opposed.
The decision is most likely to end the political deadlock which gripped the nation for ten months during which Spain had only a caretaker government without full powers.
Previously, the Socialists had refused to endorse Rajoy, a move which prevented a constitutional government being formed. A coup within the Socialists, however, saw off its leader Pedro Sanchez and opened the possibility of a change in the party’s stance which came through on Sunday.
Until then, Spain had teetered on the brink of an unprecedented third general election which by constitutional regulation would have been called for 25 December.
On Monday, King Felipe VI began a new round of consultations with party leaders before Parliament reconvenes.
The parliamentary vote needed to confirm Rajoy’s minority government is expected to take place next weekend on either Saturday or Sunday, narrowly avoided the 31 October deadline after which another general election would have been required.
Spanish politics post-Franco had been characterised by ping-pong leadership between the conservative Popular Party and the Socialists, neither of them free of corruption charges.
The general election last December broke up this duality when two new parties, leftist Podemos and centrist Cuidadanos, entered the scene and won a number of seats in parliament.
This delivered a fragmented parliament where no grouping had enough lawmakers to govern alone, even though Rajoy's Popular Party (PP) had achieved the most seats. A repeat election in June failed to bring a sufficiently different result and the political paralysis remained.
The Popular Party holds 137 seats out of 350. As a minority government, the prime minister will have to govern with huge opposition in parliament.
Spain could have a proper government by 1 November, but it is not over until the fat lady sings.
