Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy lost a vote of confidence following a heated two-day debate in parliament to quit his post and be replaced by the leader of the opposition Socialist Party. The votes were 180 to 169 and one abstained.
Rajoy appeared in parliament this morning and said in a brief speech that he would accept the decision. He added that it was an honor to be the leader of Spain and to leave it in a better state than he found, and that he has fulfilled his responsibilities and he asked forgiveness if he offended someone.
After facing several crises, including the crisis in the province of Catalonia and its desire to leave Spain, Rajoy was toppled because of corruption scandals linked to his party. The Spanish National Court last week issued tough sentences against 29 people linked to the party on charges of using commissions, fraud and tax evasion for money laundering.
After six years in office, Rajoy is to replace by the opposition Socialist Party and its leader Pedro Sanchez and is expected to be sworn in over the weekend.
