Spain's new leader Mariano Rajoy won a vote of confidence in parliament on Tuesday, the last step in the handover process before he can be sworn-in as prime minister.

Rajoy, whose centre-right People's Party was swept into power with an absolute majority in November, will be sworn-in by King Juan Carlos on Wednesday, when he is also expected to name his cabinet.

In his first speech to the country's new parliament on Monday, Rajoy promised deep spending cuts to bring down Spain's deficit - a key part of Spain's role in resolving a euro zone debt crisis.

Rajoy received 187 votes in favour, 149 against and 14 abstentions. Among those in opposition were members of parliament from the Socialist PSOE, Catalonian nationalists CiU and Navarrese nationalist group Geroa Bai.

Basque nationalist and pro-independence groups PNV and Amaiur abstained from the vote.