Spain ‘will probably have new prime minister’ by Friday, sources claim

THE PSOE are close to having the votes they need to oust Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy at this Friday’s no-confidence vote. 

Separatist MPs in Catalunya are likely to side with the Socialists when its leadership meets in Barcelona tonight.

According to people close to the discussions, Basque Nationalists are planning to follow the lead of the Catalans when they decide which way they will swing on Thursday morning.

If both join the PSOE in voting to remove Rajoy, they will join left-wing Podemos and have enough votes for Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez to take power.

A source told press PP leaders are starting to see defeat as the most likely outcome.

The only scenario in which the Basques would not join the PSOE would be if the Catalan separatists backed away at the last minute.

A person close to the Catalans’ leadership said such a decision was very unlikely, even though the outcome hasn’t been set in stone.