MADRID (AP) – Spain’s acting prime minister said Wednesday that his party has authorized him to negotiate a pact with a small party as part of his bid to end the eight-month political deadlock and form a new government.
But Mariano Rajoy gave no indication that he intended to ask parliament anytime soon for a vote of confidence that would allow him to take power.
Rajoy said he would begin talks with business-friendly Ciudadanos, but stressed that his Popular Party hadn’t discussed a package of conditions Ciudadanos had set as a requisite for any negotiations, and which had earlier been expected to be debated at his party’s meeting Wednesday. One of the conditions was that Rajoy should set a date for an investiture vote.
Rajoy’s conservative Popular Party, in power since 2011, has been running a caretaker government since December after two inconclusive elections.
“This situation can’t go on for much longer. It’s doing Spain no good,” he said, adding that if his party is unable to form a government, a third round of elections may be unavoidable this fall.