Spanish Ciudadanos Party Will Vote Against Mariano Rajoy as Prime Minister

MADRID (Sputnik) — The Spanish Ciudadanos party will vote against the candidate from the ruling People’s Party (PP), Mariano Rajoy, for a post of prime minister, the head of the Spanish liberal party, Albert Rivera, said Monday.

"Ciudadanos will be a solid and effective opposition. We won't support this government. We will vote against the government that we don't support, but we are ready to negotiate. We told Rajoy that Ciudadanos would work for the benefit of the Spaniards, and we want to carry out reforms that will help to begin a new stage. Spain has requested that the old policy give way to the new," Rivera said following talks with Rajoy.

Spain’s ruling People’s Party (PP) won general elections on December 20, getting 123 seats in the country’s parliament, 63 less than it obtained in the 2011 vote. PP's traditional rivals, Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) secured 90 seats. Podemos came third, gaining 69 seats. At least 176 seats are needed to have parliamentary majority.

Rajoy will face the first parliamentary vote on the re-assumption of his position as the country's prime minister in January. If he fails to gain 50 percent support of lawmakers, a second vote will be held where he will be required to get more votes for his candidacy than against it.