MADRID (AP) — Former Spanish prime minister and veteran politician Mariano Rajoy is vowing loyalty to his Popular Party in an emotional farewell, as the party's leadership transitions in a bid to retake power in Spain.

The 63-year-old lost a parliamentary vote last month to his socialist opponent, Pedro Sanchez, in the wake of graft convictions for members of his center-right party.

Now in the opposition, members of PP began Friday a two-day congress to choose between Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, 47, who was deputy prime minister until June, and Pablo Casado, 37, a lawyer and rising party figure.

The winner faces the challenges of reuniting a party split by a bitter leadership battle and rebuilding its reputation as new parties, both left and right, have ended the traditional bipartisan politics.</s>Rajoy says farewell as Spain's conservatives seek new leader

MADRID (AP) — Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy vowed loyalty to his Popular Party in an emotional farewell Friday as the conservative party seeks to retake power in Spain.

The 63-year-old politician lost a parliamentary vote last month to his Socialist party opponent, Pedro Sanchez, in the wake of graft convictions for members of his center-right party.

Now in the opposition, Popular Party members on Friday began a two-day congress to choose a new leader between Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, 47, who was deputy prime minister until June, and lawyer Pablo Casado, 37.

The winner faces the challenges of reuniting a party split by a bitter leadership battle and rebuilding its scandal-tarred reputation as rival new parties, both on the left and the right, upend Spain's traditional bi-partisan politics.

Rajoy, who led the party for 14 years, has vowed not to interfere in the election of his successor.

"I'm taking a step aside, but I'm not leaving," Rajoy told a full auditorium, adding: "I will be loyal."

Instead, in an emotional 40-minute televised speech, Rajoy defended his record applying austerity to steer the eurozone's fourth-largest economy out of its worst crisis in decades.

He also said that, despite difficulties, his government had handled well the challenge by Catalan separatists over the northeastern region's sovereignty, which became a full-blown political crisis late last year. He also took pride from "defeating" the militant group ETA, which fought for decades for Basque independence.

In 2017, Rajoy became the first sitting Spanish prime minister to testify as a witness for his party's corruption misdeeds. In a ruling last May, the court fined the party for benefiting from a kickbacks-for-contracts scheme. That prompted the Sanchez-led opposition to call —and win— a vote of no confidence against Rajoy.

Sanchez, Spain's new prime minister, is trying to push ahead with a social agenda that overturns some of his conservative predecessors' policies. That won't be easy however, since he only controls 84 votes in the 350-seat lower house, while the Popular Party has 134 lawmakers.</s>MADRID (AP) — Former Spanish prime minister and veteran politician Mariano Rajoy is vowing loyalty to his Popular Party in an emotional farewell, as the party's leadership transitions in a bid to retake power in Spain.

The 63-year-old lost a parliamentary vote last month to his socialist opponent, Pedro Sanchez, in the wake of graft convictions for members of his center-right party.

Now in the opposition, members of PP began Friday a two-day congress to choose between Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, 47, who was deputy prime minister until June, and Pablo Casado, 37, a lawyer and rising party figure.

The winner faces the challenges of reuniting a party split by a bitter leadership battle and rebuilding its reputation as new parties, both left and right, have ended the traditional bipartisan politics.</s>MADRID: Spain's ousted prime minister Mariano Rajoy bid farewell to his conservative Popular Party (PP) on Friday (Jul 20), in a long, emotional speech as party members prepare to elect his successor.

The 63-year-old veteran politician is quitting as head of a party he has led since 2004 after he was ousted as prime minister in June in a parliamentary no-confidence vote tabled by his Socialist rival Pedro Sanchez, angered at the PP's repeated corruption woes.

"I come to bid farewell to the party, and also to say thank you," Rajoy said, visibly moved, as he started speaking to hundreds of PP members gathered in a Madrid hotel.

Among them were some of the 3,082 delegates who on Saturday will elect his successor, choosing between Rajoy's former right-hand woman Soraya Saenz de Santamaria and Pablo Casado, a 37-year-old lawmaker.

"I've lived through the history of our organisation with intensity," he said, recalling when he started as an activist four decades ago, putting up election posters in Galicia, his home region in Spain's northwest.

The former prime minister also praised his government's track record.

"Spain is much better off than when we arrived" at the end of 2011, replacing the Socialist government at a time of devastating economic crisis, he said.

The economy has grown over three percent for three years in a row, and Spain's jobless rate has fallen dramatically, even if at 16.7 per cent it remains the second highest in the eurozone after Greece.

Before he took to the podium, a video was broadcast in the room with many prominent leaders bidding him farewell, including Germany's Angela Merkel, Britain's Theresa May, India's Narendra Modi and even Portugal's Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa.

And towards the end of his speech, Rajoy said cryptically, "I'm stepping aside, but I'm not going away."</s>MADRID (AP) — Former Spanish prime minister and veteran politician Mariano Rajoy is vowing loyalty to his Popular Party in an emotional farewell, as the party's leadership transitions in a bid to retake power in Spain.

The 63-year-old lost a parliamentary vote last month to his socialist opponent, Pedro Sanchez, in the wake of graft convictions for members of his center-right party.

Now in the opposition, members of PP began Friday a two-day congress to choose between Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, 47, who was deputy prime minister until June, and Pablo Casado, 37, a lawyer and rising party figure.

The winner faces the challenges of reuniting a party split by a bitter leadership battle and rebuilding its reputation as new parties, both left and right, have ended the traditional bipartisan politics.</s>The People's Party was cast into opposition in June after six years in government when its previous leader Mariano Rajoy was ousted in a no-confidence vote.

Taking to the stage, Casado paid hommage to his predecessor.

"Thank you president Rajoy. I will keep calling you 'president'," he said. "Because we owe you a lot, because of your four decades of public service to the Spanish people."

In his victory speech, the 37-year-old lawyer promised to defend the values of "life and the family:.

Casado will lead the opposition to Spain’s new minority Socialist government ahead of regional elections next year.

And a general election that Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister, could call ahead of the due date of July 2020.</s>Rajoy says farewell as Spain's conservatives seek new leader

MADRID (AP) — Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy vowed loyalty to his Popular Party in an emotional farewell Friday as the conservative party seeks to retake power in Spain.

The 63-year-old politician lost a parliamentary vote last month to his Socialist party opponent, Pedro Sanchez, in the wake of graft convictions for members of his center-right party.

Now in the opposition, Popular Party members on Friday began a two-day congress to choose a new leader between Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, 47, who was deputy prime minister until June, and lawyer Pablo Casado, 37.

The winner faces the challenges of reuniting a party split by a bitter leadership battle and rebuilding its scandal-tarred reputation as rival new parties, both on the left and the right, upend Spain's traditional bi-partisan politics.

Rajoy, who led the party for 14 years, has vowed not to interfere in the election of his successor.

"I'm taking a step aside, but I'm not leaving," Rajoy told a full auditorium, adding: "I will be loyal."

Instead, in an emotional 40-minute televised speech, Rajoy defended his record applying austerity to steer the eurozone's fourth-largest economy out of its worst crisis in decades.

He also said that, despite difficulties, his government had handled well the challenge by Catalan separatists over the northeastern region's sovereignty, which became a full-blown political crisis late last year. He also took pride from "defeating" the militant group ETA, which fought for decades for Basque independence.

In 2017, Rajoy became the first sitting Spanish prime minister to testify as a witness for his party's corruption misdeeds. In a ruling last May, the court fined the party for benefiting from a kickbacks-for-contracts scheme. That prompted the Sanchez-led opposition to call —and win— a vote of no confidence against Rajoy.

Sanchez, Spain's new prime minister, is trying to push ahead with a social agenda that overturns some of his conservative predecessors' policies. That won't be easy however, since he only controls 84 votes in the 350-seat lower house, while the Popular Party has 134 lawmakers.</s>MADRID (AP) — Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy vowed loyalty to his Popular Party in an emotional farewell Friday as the conservative party seeks to retake power in Spain.

The 63-year-old politician lost a parliamentary vote last month to his Socialist party opponent, Pedro Sanchez, in the wake of graft convictions for members of his center-right party.

Now in the opposition, Popular Party members on Friday began a two-day congress to choose a new leader between Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, 47, who was deputy prime minister until June, and lawyer Pablo Casado, 37.

The winner faces the challenges of reuniting a party split by a bitter leadership battle and rebuilding its scandal-tarred reputation as rival new parties, both on the left and the right, upend Spain's traditional bi-partisan politics.

Rajoy, who led the party for 14 years, has vowed not to interfere in the election of his successor.

"I'm taking a step aside, but I'm not leaving," Rajoy told a full auditorium, adding: "I will be loyal."

Instead, in an emotional 40-minute televised speech, Rajoy defended his record applying austerity to steer the eurozone's fourth-largest economy out of its worst crisis in decades.

He also said that, despite difficulties, his government had handled well the challenge by Catalan separatists over the northeastern region's sovereignty, which became a full-blown political crisis late last year. He also took pride from "defeating" the militant group ETA, which fought for decades for Basque independence.

In 2017, Rajoy became the first sitting Spanish prime minister to testify as a witness for his party's corruption misdeeds. In a ruling last May, the court fined the party for benefiting from a kickbacks-for-contracts scheme. That prompted the Sanchez-led opposition to call —and win— a vote of no confidence against Rajoy.

Sanchez, Spain's new prime minister, is trying to push ahead with a social agenda that overturns some of his conservative predecessors' policies. That won't be easy however, since he only controls 84 votes in the 350-seat lower house, while the Popular Party has 134 lawmakers.</s>MADRID (AP) — Former Spanish prime minister and veteran politician Mariano Rajoy is vowing loyalty to his Popular Party in an emotional farewell, as the party's leadership transitions in a bid to retake power in Spain.

The 63-year-old lost a parliamentary vote last month to his socialist opponent, Pedro Sanchez, in the wake of graft convictions for members of his center-right party.

Now in the opposition, members of PP began Friday a two-day congress to choose between Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, 47, who was deputy prime minister until June, and Pablo Casado, 37, a lawyer and rising party figure.

The winner faces the challenges of reuniting a party split by a bitter leadership battle and rebuilding its reputation as new parties, both left and right, have ended the traditional bipartisan politics.</s>Spain's ousted prime minister Mariano Rajoy bid farewell to his conservative Popular Party (PP) on Friday, in a long, emotional speech as party members prepare to elect his successor.

The 63-year-old veteran politician is quitting as head of a party he has led since 2004 after he was ousted as prime minister in June in a parliamentary no-confidence vote tabled by his Socialist rival Pedro Sanchez, angered at the PP's repeated corruption woes.

"I come to bid farewell to the party, and also to say thank you," Rajoy said, visibly moved, as he started speaking to hundreds of PP members gathered in a Madrid hotel.

Among them were some of the 3,082 delegates who on Saturday will elect his successor, choosing between Rajoy's former right-hand woman Soraya Saenz de Santamaria and Pablo Casado, a 37-year-old lawmaker.

"I've lived through the history of our organisation with intensity," he said, recalling when he started as an activist four decades ago, putting up election posters in Galicia, his home region in Spain's northwest.

The former prime minister also praised his government's track record.

"Spain is much better off than when we arrived" at the end of 2011, replacing the Socialist government at a time of devastating economic crisis, he said.

The economy has grown over three percent for three years in a row, and Spain's jobless rate has fallen dramatically, even if at 16.7 percent it remains the second highest in the eurozone after Greece.

Before he took to the podium, a video was broadcast in the room with many prominent leaders bidding him farewell, including Germany's Angela Merkel, Britain's Theresa May, India's Narendra Modi and even Portugal's Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa.

And towards the end of his speech, Rajoy said cryptically, "I'm stepping aside, but I'm not going away."
The XIX Congress of the People's Party begins, which will elect the new party leader and successor of former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. The candidates are former Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría and the party's deputy secretary of communication, Pablo Casado.