Constructive vote of no confidence
The constructive vote of no confidence is a variation on the motion of no confidence that allows a parliament to withdraw confidence from a head of government only if there is a positive majority for a prospective successor. The principle is intended to ensure governments' stability by making sure that a replacement has enough parliamentary support to govern.
Willy Brandt, 1971 in the German Bundestag
German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt was the first head of government to be overthrown by a constructive vote of no confidence
Mariano Rajoy was the first prime minister in Spain's political history to be removed by a constructive vote of no confidence.
A motion or vote of no confidence is a formal expression by a deliberative body as to whether an officeholder is deemed fit to continue to occupy their office. The no-confidence vote is a defining feature of parliamentary democracy which allows the elected parliament to either affirm their support or force the ousting of the cabinet. Systems differ in whether such a motion may be directed against the prime minister only or against individual cabinet ministers.
The outgoing prime minister Mariano Rajoy (right) congratulates the incoming prime minister Pedro Sánchez (left) upon losing the no-confidence vote on 1 June 2018.