Mr Rajoy, leader of the conservative Popular Party (PP), secured the backing of 170 representatives in the 350-strong assembly after failing to win support from the opposition.
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Rajoy, who has been running a caretaker government following inconclusive elections in December and then again in June, opened the debate Tuesday, saying that Spain needed a government urgently.
If Rajoy loses Wednesday, he has a second chance Friday when he only needs more votes in favor than against.
After two days of debate at the Spanish Congress of Deputies, where different political parties voiced their opinions, Rajoy only gained the support of centre-right party Ciudadanos (32 seats) and Coalicion Canaria (one seat).
But the Socialists and other parties have already proposed shortening the campaign so a repeat election could be held on December 18, in a sign that fresh polls are looming.
“Given parties’ entrenched positions, a third round of elections is now the base case”, said Antonio Barroso, a London-base political analyst at Teneo Intelligence, who said that scenario has a 55 percent probability.
Rajoy accused the Socialists of “stubbornly wanting new elections” and warned the political deadlock risks jeopardising Spain’s economy and even raises questions about democracy.
Rajoy started a two-day.
Spain needs to send its 2017 budget to Brussels by the middle of October and the legislative process is being held up by the lack of government. He needed the backing of 176 MPs to form a government.
“They are have no shame, they only look after their own good, not the good of the country”, said Jesus Ruiz, a 48-year-old builder as he repaired a fountain near the 17th century palace in Madrid that houses the foreign ministry.
The last two elections both produced fragmented parliaments with the rise of two new groups – the far-left Unidos Podemos alliance, which came in third, and the fourth-place business friendly Ciudadanos party. While the PP was the only group to increase its vote at a re-run in June and has considerable common ground with the Socialists on policy, Rajoy is struggling to clinch enough support because of unresolved corruption allegations against his party.
“I will be very clear, the Socialist party will vote against your candidacy to the government in order to be coherent and for the good of Spain”, Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez told parliament on Wednesday.
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Rajoy told parliament he wanted to form a government with broad support that would be able to safeguard Spain’s economic recovery, with growth rates now among the highest in the euro zone, and play a leading role in the European Union.
