"PSOE will vote against the confirmation… We will vote against due to out consistent stance and for the benefit of the country," Sanchez claimed.
The PSOE leader also criticized the economic situation in the country, recalling that the budget deficit stands at 5 percent of GDP, while government debt is at around 100 percent of GDP. He also slammed the investment cuts in the social sector implemented by the PP.
If Rajoy fails to score the necessary 176 votes, a second round of voting will be held on September 2, where a simple majority of "yes" votes would serve to approve his candidacy.
Earlier this month, the PP, the centrist Citizens-Party of the Citizenry and the conservative Canarian Coalition agreed to support Rajoy’s candidacy, which would give him 170 votes, six short of the minimum required.
In June, Rajoy's PP won the most seats in the parliamentary election, with Spanish Socialist PSOE finishing second. None of the political forces have an absolute majority and thus cannot form a government on their own.
