Rajoy sworn in as Spanish prime minister
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E-mail Xinhua, October 31, 2016
Mariano Rajoy was sworn in for his second term as Spanish Prime Minister on Monday morning to end the country's ten-month spell without a government.
![Acting Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy delivers a speech during an electional event of People's Party (PP) in Barcelona, Spain, on June 4, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20161101/b8aeed990a58198230180f.jpg "Acting Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy delivers a speech during an electional event of People's Party (PP) in Barcelona, Spain, on June 4, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]") |
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Acting Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy delivers a speech during an electional event of People's Party (PP) in Barcelona, Spain, on June 4, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] |
He was sworn in during a brief ceremony with King Felipe VI of Spain at the Palacio de la Zarzuela on the outskirts of Madrid.
After ten months as the leader of a temporary government, Rajoy returned with full powers after winning Saturday's investiture vote in Congress by 170 votes in favor, 111 against and 68 abstentions from the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE).
Despite allowing Rajoy to return to power, the Socialists have vowed to fight his minority government with PSOE spokesman, Antonio Hernando telling Rajoy on Saturday they would not back the latter's "odious reforms nor to pardon the grave corruption" within Rajoy's People's Party.
"You now do not have the absolute majority... You're now in a clear minority and under the close watch of everyone in this congress," said Hernando.
However, the leaderless PSOE have their own problems after former leader, Pedro Sanchez, who was ousted earlier this month, renounced his seat as a deputy in order to avoid having to abstain and to launch a campaign to return as party leader.
Sanchez's campaign highlights the deep division the decision to abstain has caused within PSOE deputies and also between their parliamentary representatives and grassroots supporters. Rajoy will be able to exploit those divisions by threatening a new election if the PSOE do not allow him to carry out his planned reforms.
The prime minister will now announce his new cabinet on Thursday and they will be sworn in on Nov. 4.
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