Spanish Premier Rajoy ousted in no-confidence vote

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO (AA) - The government of Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was toppled on Friday after parliament passed a motion of no-confidence.

Spain’s Socialist Party triggered the vote after a court sentenced several former high-ranking members of Rajoy’s Popular Party to prison on corruption charges, fined the party for benefiting from the corruption ring, and noted that the party had a secret bank account.

Pedro Sanchez, leader of the Socialist Party, is set to be Spain’s new prime minister. He has secured the backing of six other parties, including the far-left Unidos Podemos party and Basque and Catalan nationalist parties.

In parliament, 180 voted against Rajoy, 169 voted to keep him, and there was one abstention.