After the motion of no confidence on June 5 , 2018 , Mariano Rajoy resigned as leader of the People 's Party , and Sáenz de Santamaría was presented to the primaries to elect the new president . Soraya Saénz de Santamaría won the primaries with a narrow margin of 1,500 votes to go to the second round with Pablo Casado . On July 21 , 2018 , the second round was held between Casado and Sáenz de Santamaría to elect the new leader of the People 's Party , which she lost to Pablo Casado . Following her electoral defeat , she announced in September 2018 that she was leaving politics after 18 years
motion of no confidence
2018 vote of no confidence in the government of Mariano Rajoy
Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría