Madrid - Mr Jose Borrell, the Socialist candidate for Spanish prime minister in elections due by 2000, resigned yesterday, throwing the largest opposition party into disarray.
Mr Borrell (52) said he was stepping down to prevent his party from being hurt by allegations of financial misconduct against some of his former subordinates while he was a minister. Mr Javier Solana, a former foreign minister, has been named as a possible party candidate, but he does not finish his term as NATO secretary-general until the end of the year.