Rajoy warns he “won’t renounce his right to rule” but admits to being “open to all formulas”

Barcelona (CNA).- The Conservative People’s Party (PP), led by current Spanish President Mariano Rajoy won the last Spanish elections and obtained 135 MPs in the 350-seat Spanish Parliament. Although they improved the result which they achieved last time out, they are far from the absolute majority and therefore agreements will be needed in order to form government. Rajoy’s first choice is to reach an agreement with the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) and Spanish Unionist ‘Ciutadans’ but admitted that “if this would not be possible” he is open to governing in minority with occasional support from these forces. Either way, he emphasised that he “won’t renounce right to rule” and warned PSOE and ‘Ciutadans’ that leading Spain to new elections “would be irresponsible”.

Current Spanish President urged PSOE and ‘Ciutadans’ “to be generous and open-minded” in order to reach agreements and avoid calling for new elections in Spain, which would be the third in 6 months. He also pointed out that “it will be essential” to reach an agreement by the end of July or the beginning of August.

According to Rajoy, the message which Spaniards sent through the ballot boxes is the same as that of the last Spanish Elections, held in December 2015, which is “dialogue, talk and reach agreements”. In this vein, he emphasised that the PP “is still willing to dialogue, talk and reach agreements” since “Spain already needs a solid government” which “can be trustworthy and make reforms”.

Thus, he offered his hand to the “moderate parties”, referring to PSOE and ‘Ciutadans’, in order to “do together what Spaniards are urging us to do” and stated that after a year without passing any laws “there are priority issues” and “urgent measures” which need to be addressed.