Spanish opposition may secure votes to topple Rajoy

Bloomberg

The Socialists, Spain’s biggest opposition party, are negotiating on two fronts for the
support they need to oust PM Mariano Rajoy in a no-confidence vote on Friday, according to people briefed on the talks.
The party has made inroads in the past 24 hours but the result is likely to remain in the balance until the last moment as six different opposition groups jostle for advantage ahead of a potential election, according to the people, who asked not to be named discussing political strategy. A
Socialist press officer declined to comment.
The precarious balance of political forces that had held for 18 months in Spain was upended last week when former aides from the governing People’s Party were convicted of running a corruption racket when Rajoy was opposition leader.
Just a day after voting alongside the PP to pass the delayed 2019 budget, the centrist group Ciudadanos withdrew its support for the minority administration and demanded a snap election. The Socialists called on the prime minister to resign and filed the no-confidence motion.
One option for Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez would be to persuade the left-wing group Podemos along with Catalan and Basque Nationalists to make him premier.
Podemos has signaled it’s on board and the Catalans are ready to make a similar commitment, according to the people, who asked not to be named discussing political strategy.
Sanchez has proposed a short-term government that would introduce new support for poorer Spaniards, ensure the new regional government
in Catalonia respects the constitution and clean up politics before calling elections. He hasn’t said how long he’d plan to stay in power.
Appearing before parliament on Wednesday, Rajoy told the Catalans and Ciudadanos that Sanchez was playing them off against each other.