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MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Pulling a major ally from the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq, Spain's prime minister-elect will withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq in the coming months, a Socialist Party spokesman said.
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and the socialists were swept into power during Sunday's election.
"Today, the Spanish people have spoken, and they said they want a government of change," he said in a victory speech.
The surprise victor in national elections vowed that fighting terrorism would be his first priority as he sets about creating an administration "that will work for peace."
According to the party spokesman, Zapatero will take the Spanish troops out of Iraq on June 30 -- the day the Coalition Provisional Authority is scheduled to turn over power to an interim Iraqi government.
The PM-elect has said Spanish troops should never have been in Iraq, because the was no U.N. resolution authorizing military action. Polls show up to 90 percent of Spaniards opposing the war in Iraq.
Outgoing prime minister Jose Maria Aznar has been a key European ally of the Bush administration.
Zapatero, who succeeds Aznar, told a Spanish radio station that no decision would be taken until he was in power and without wide political consultation.
"But the Spanish troops in Iraq will come home," he added in his first post-election interview with Cadena SER radio.
Aznar's choice for successor -- Mariano Rajoy, of the Popular Party -- was defeated soundly three days after terrorist attacks in the capital killed 200 people and wounded about 1,500 others.
Rajoy conceded defeat after some 83 percent of the vote had been counted, showing the Socialist Workers Party on track to win 164 seats in the country's 350-seat parliament.
The ruling conservative Popular Party is tipped to win 148 seats, thus ending eight years of conservative rule.
Turnout was high at 76 percent with voters seeming to express anger with the government, accusing it of provoking the Madrid attacks by supporting the U.S.-led war in Iraq, which most Spaniards opposed.
After a minute of silence in their remembrance "so we never forget," Zapatero expressed thanks "to all the governments and countries that have been with us in our pain."
He congratulated Rajoy as "a very good rival," and said he had called him and pledged "to cooperate in the matters of state."
Zapatero said he would seek to increase the prestige of democratic institutions in Spain, and vowed to create a transparent government that "will act from dialogue ... it is a government that will work for peace."
He added, "My immediate priority will be to fight terrorism, and the first thing I will do tomorrow -- Monday -- will be to search for the unity of the political forces to concentrate all of our efforts in that fight."
Though his government may be one of change, some things will remain constant, he said, "Tonight, I want to govern for all of us and I assure you that power is not going to change me."
Zapatero made his remarks shortly after Rajoy conceded defeat Sunday.
"The results show that he has gained the trust of the majority of the Spanish citizens and the Partido Popular recognizes that this general election has been marred by the tragic consequences of the terrible events, and the Spanish citizen has spoken," said Rajoy, who was flanked by Aznar.
"The majority of the electorate has behaved in a civilized way, and it has been an homage to the memory of the victims," Rajoy added.
He said Sunday's results "force the big national parties to examine our responsibilities," and he vowed that the Partido Popular would do just that.
"More than always, the national priority must always be the defeat of terrorists," he said.
The current government will collaborate in the transition of power, said Eduardo Zaplana, a Cabinet minister and chief spokesman for the PP.
The concession came after some 83 percent of the vote had been counted, showing the Socialist Workers Party on track to win 164 seats in the country's 350-seat parliament.
The ruling conservative Popular Party was on track to win 148 seats.
Internal tracking polls predicted last Wednesday that the PP would win, but Thursday's terrorist attacks in the capital changed everything, one analyst said.
The upset was widely interpreted as a rebuke to Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's strong support for U.S. President George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq, which 90 percent of Spaniards opposed.
It was also seen as a criticism of the Spanish government's handling of last week's bomb blasts. Initially, government authorities said they suspected the Basque separatist group ETA -- whose terrorist attacks the ruling party has staunchly put down in recent years.
But later evidence has pointed to al Qaeda members as the possible attackers.
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