Pedro Sanchez, leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), was named prime minister of Spain on June 1 after 180 MPs supported a vote of no confidence against the incumbent, Mariano Rajoy.

Rajoy became the first Spanish prime minister to be ousted from office by a vote of no confidence, and crossed the chamber of the Congress of Deputies to shake hands with Sanchez.

Sanchez’s PSOE tabled a motion of no confidence in Rajoy following a court ruling which said Rajoy’s People’s Party benefited from a bribery scheme. One of its former treasurers, Luis Barcenas, was jailed for 33 years for fraud and money laundering.

On June 31 the Basque National Party gave its support to the motion of no confidence, which combined with Podemos, the Catalan European Democratic Party and the Republican Left of Catalonia, gave the PSOE enough votes to pass the motion. Credit: Joan Mena Arca via Storyful