Full marks to PSOE for putting the national interest before party politics. It means that soon Spain will have a government because the socialists have agreed to abstain, which will allow acting prime minister Mariano Rajoy to form a minority government. Granted the political situation will still be difficult because Rajoy´s Partido Popular will not have an overall majority but at least Spain, ten months after the first general election, will have an official government.
The political fallout from the political uncertainty has already claimed the resignation of the PSOE leader, Pedro Sanchez, who was opposed to any sort of deal with the Partido Popular, even abstaining in parliament. His tough stance effectively split the party down the middle and led to a revolt which resulted in Sunday´s vote in which the socialists agreed to open the door to the PP.
The lack of a proper government has already dented foreign investment in Spain and has once again underlined the dangers of the Spanish political system. Rajoy's PP won both general elections but could not muster enough support to gain an overall majority. At one stage it had appeared likely that Sanchez would be able to form a left-wing coalition but he was unable to get the support of Podemos. So in the end, Rajoy will be prime minister but he must thank the socialist party.