Spain's New Fully-Functioning Government May Not Work

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was recently reinstated to form a minority government, following a ten-month period of political deadlock in which no party could form a majority in parliament. However, Rajoy, who has taken a positive outlook on the U.S. presidential election and congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on Twitter, could lose power before the end of his term. If this happens, relations between the U.S. and Spain may become strained, as Spain’s party leaders hold diverse attitudes toward Trump.

Pablo Iglesias, the leader of Spain’s left-wing populist party Podemos, issued a special press release after the election result saying his party is “deeply worried by Donald Trump’s electoral triumph” after his “disheveled, racist, sexist campaign, which demonstrated a lack of respect for human rights.”