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Spain
At stake: Congress of Deputies, Senate
Background
Currently, Spain is comprised by 17 autonomous communities and two autonomous cities. Francisco Franco became the ruler of Spain following the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939. He retained control over the armed forces, served as head of state and head of government, and appointed and dismissed government members at will. More than 300,000 people died in the conflict.
In November 1975, Juan Carlos I officially became Spain’s monarch following the death of dictator Francisco Franco. Juan Carlos oversaw the European nation’s transition into democratic rule. Since Franco’s death, several Spanish regions—including the Basque Country, Catalonia, Galicia and Valencia—have enjoyed a large degree of autonomy.
Adolfo Suárez, a member of the now-defunct Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD), served as president from July 1976 to February 1981. He is credited with steering Spain during the first few years of the transition to democratic rule, which included the drafting and ratification of the 1978 Constitution.
Spain’s Constitution introduced a system of regional government known as "the state of the autonomies." The charter grants the right of self-government to the regions and so-called "nationalities" that comprise an "indissoluble Spanish nation."
Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) leader Felipe González was Spain’s first leftist president, governing from December 1982 to May 1996. During his tenure, state education was made universal and free until the age of 16, and Spain joined the European Economic Community (ECC) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
José María Aznar of the conservative Popular Party (PP) won the 1996 and 2000 elections, precipitating the retirement of two PSOE leaders: González and Joaquín Almunia. In 2003, Aznar supported the U.S.-led coalition effort in Iraq. Spain committed 1,300 troops for reconstruction efforts in the country.
Aznar vowed to serve only for two terms. In August 2003, first vice-president and government speaker Mariano Rajoy was chosen as the new leader of the PP and its presidential candidate in the 2004 election. The PSOE was led by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, whose popularity grew in early 2003 when Spaniards became fed up with their government’s handling of the Prestige oil spill and their president’s backing of the war in Iraq.
On Mar. 11, 2004, a series of explosions in one of Madrid’s main railway stations, as well as three commuter trains, killed 191 people. A group allegedly linked to the al-Qaeda network claimed responsibility, saying the attacks were prepared in retaliation for Spain’s support of the United States-led coalition effort in Iraq.
In the early stages of the investigation, Aznar’s administration blamed separatist armed group Basque Motherland and Liberty (ETA) for the bombings. In the general election, the PSOE secured 164 of the 350 seats at stake. Zapatero was sworn in as president of the government in April 2004.
Click Here for Spain’s 2004 Legislative Election Tracker
During Zapatero’s tenure, Spain ended its participation in the Iraq war, allowed same-sex couples to marry legally, and passed the Equality Law, which seeks to foster female participation in politics.
In September 2005, Catalonia’s Parliament approved the autonomous community’s proposed new statute in a 120-15 vote. The text defines Catalonia as a "nation" within Spain, and allows it to retain control over 50 per cent of its income taxes, up from the current 33 per cent. In November, Spain’s lower house voted 197-146 to accept the proposed statute for review. In March 2006, the document was approved by the Congress of the Deputies. The statute was ratified in a June 2006 Catalonia-wide referendum. Zapatero acknowledged the outcome and supported the status of increased autonomy. Rajoy called the results the "liquidation of the constitutional state."
In March 2006, the separatist armed group Basque Motherland and Liberty (ETA) announced a "permanent ceasefire" and urged the "authorities in Spain and France" to "approach the issue in a positive manner, and leave repression aside." ETA has killed more than 840 people since 1959, in the fight to form an independent state encompassing the Spanish regions of Navarra and the Basque Country, as well as areas in southwestern France.
On Dec. 30, 2006, a car bomb exploded inside Madrid’s Barajas International Airport, killing two people. On Jan. 11, 2007, Zapatero confirmed that his government’s talks with ETA were over.
In February 2007, the Madrid bombings trial got underway in Spain. In all, 20 defendants—most of them Moroccan—were accused of carrying out the attack, aided by nine Spaniards who allegedly trafficked explosive materials. Spain abolished the death penalty for all crimes in 1995. In accordance with its Penal Code, a conviction would carry a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison for each defendant.
On Oct. 31, the Spanish court found 21 people guilty and acquitted seven others. In all, three men were convicted of mass murder, but the key defendant in the trial—a 35-year-old Egyptian man named Rabei Osman El Sayed Ahmed—was acquitted of all charges.
Zapatero hailed the trial’s outcome, declaring, "Justice was rendered today. The barbarism perpetrated on March 11, 2004, has left a deep imprint of pain on our collective memory, an imprint that stays with us as a homage to the victims. (...) The lesson that we can learn is the need to work together against terrorism."
Eutiquio Gutiérrez—a representative from a victims’ association—expressed disappointment with the sentence, saying, "It seems to us that only a few of them got a lot of years in prison. There aren’t many heavy sentences considering how many people were affected."
On Sept. 18, Zapatero unveiled a housing plan geared at young workers who want to leave their family home. The proposal includes a monthly government handout of approximately $300 U.S. for this demographic, as well as special rental deposit loans for people aged 22 to 30.
In late September and early October, photographs of King Juan Carlos I were burned at least three times by groups of protesters in Catalonia, and the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) party called for the monarch to be stripped of his role as commander in chief of Spain’s armed forces.
On Oct. 2, Rajoy criticized the way the PSOE has handled the situation, saying, "You cannot say things that are hollow, empty, or things that cannot be understood, nor can you transmit a sense of weakness. My party has always been there, where it should be, and what others do is their business."
2008 Congress of Deputies, Senate Election
Current Spanish president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero will lead the Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) into the 2008 election. The opposition conservative Popular Party (PP) will be headed by Mariano Rajoy. On Nov. 14, 2007, Gaspar Llamazares was re-elected as leader of United Left (IU), winning a primary ballot with 62.5 per cent of the vote against Valencia’s communist leader Marga Sanz.
On Nov. 10, Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez called Aznar a "fascist" at a summit where leaders from Latin America and Spain were present. Zapatero defended Aznar saying he had been "legitimately elected president" of the Spanish government. Before Chávez could carry on with his criticism, King Juan Carlos of Spain told him: "Why don’t you shut up?"
On Nov. 25, Rajoy discussed his chances to win the ballot, saying, "In three and a half years, I’ve shown that I can be president." The PP leader also criticized the current head of government’s views on terrorism, saying, "My intuition is that Rodríguez Zapatero believes that negotiating is good, and that is giving ETA the only hope it has."
Zapatero has put climate change at the top of his campaign pledges. On Dec. 10, he announced a plan to turn Spanish homes into energy-efficient buildings, including generous subsidies to make home renovations.
In December, separatist armed group Basque Motherland and Liberty (ETA) was deemed responsible for the murder of two Spanish policemen in France, and Zapatero announced that Spain and France will create a joint police force to fight ETA.
On Dec. 14, ETA issued a communiqué and claimed responsibility for five recent attacks—including the murder of the two Spanish policemen in France—accused the Spanish government of "practicing state terrorism against Basque militants" and vowed to battle the "forces of the Spanish state anywhere."
On Dec. 20, the Spanish government announced that the general election would take place on Mar. 9, 2008.
On Jan. 1, 2008, the PP’s honorary president Manuel Fraga—who headed the Galician government from 1990 to 2005—criticized Zapatero, saying, "I guess that, just like everyone, some things have been done less badly than others, but as a whole, the term has not been good. More than anything, with their decision to deal with the terrorists. (...) Aznar’s only mistake was his honesty in announcing that he would not seek a third term."
Since the start of 2008, Zapatero and Rajoy have offered contrasting views on the state of Spain’s economy during their campaign events. While Zapatero has stated he has “confidence in the present and future of the Spanish economy”, Rajoy has vowed to unveil a package of reforms aimed at “reviving the economy” if the PP wins the election.
On Jan. 7, Zapatero visited Spanish peacekeepers in Lebanon, declaring, “This is a mission conducted with the United Nations, with full legality and dignity. (...) Spain will leave its mark in Lebanon.”
On Jan. 15, Rajoy named Manuel Pizarro—a well-known businessman and former chairman of power company Endesa—as a parliamentary candidate. Rajoy also promised tax cuts for the business sector and said that the economy is heading towards a crisis, adding, “No one talks about the Spanish miracle anymore.”
On Jan. 17, Rafael Pampillion—a professor of economics at the Institute of Business in Madrid—said Zapatero’s chances of winning the upcoming election could be affected by a possible economic downturn, saying, “Voters are seeing rising inflation and unemployment; their houses aren’t worth as much as they thought, and it’s making them feel less well-off. (...) Whether it’s Zapatero’s fault or not, people identify a drop in their standard of living with the government that is in place.”
On Jan. 21, Zapatero recalled the moment when his government legalized same-sex marriage, and called it a show of “respect” for diversity. The president said that—if re-elected in the March general election—he would remain “loyal to those values” and declared: “There is not only one family model, but free families that we must respect. (...) We will not take one step backwards in our defence for tolerance and freedom.”
On Jan. 27, Zapatero promised an income tax rebate worth an estimated $7.33 billion U.S. to help struggling Spaniards deal with an economic slowdown if he earns a new term in this year’s election, saying, “There are families who are facing greater difficulties from rising prices, rising mortgage payments, and so I’m committed to making this rebate. (...) This is meant to stimulate the economy.”
On Jan. 29, Zapatero discussed his views on the domestic economy, saying, “We have recently issued negative unemployment numbers, but we are better off than we were four years ago. (...) We are experiencing a great economic moment, and are one of the developed countries with the lowest amount of debt.”
In late January, Spain’s Episcopal Conference—the official assembly of Catholic bishops—called for voters to abstain from voting for a party that “supports negotiating with terrorists.” The PSOE interpreted the statement as a veiled endorsement of the PP. Zapatero’s government was engaged in talks with separatist armed group Basque Motherland and Liberty (ETA) in 2006.
On Feb. 4, PSOE organizational secretary José Blanco accused the leaders of the Catholic Church of constantly “looking for confrontation with the legitimate government of Spain” and suggested that a future PSOE administration could take “definitive steps” to change the current relationship between Church and State.
Also on Feb. 4, Zapatero defended his fiscal policies, saying, “Sometimes reducing taxes is a progressive measure.”
On Feb. 6, Rajoy announced his intention to implement “an integration contract” that would commit immigrants to “respecting Spanish values.” The PP leader said that, if he forms the next government, he would grant newcomers the same rights of Spaniards but would urge them to “abide by the law, learn the language and respect Spanish customs.”
On Feb. 13, Zapatero promised to create 1.2 million new jobs for women and guarantee them equal salaries to men, saying, “A woman will no longer get 20 per cent less than a man for the same work, it is not acceptable.”
On Feb. 16, Rajoy criticized Zapatero, declaring, “Whereas some offer tension, we will offer solutions. Whereas some offer drama, we will offer reform. (...) The president should not be instigating fear and claiming the boogeyman is coming; he cannot govern with improvisations.”
On Feb. 22, Rajoy accused Zapatero of ignoring day-to-day issues, saying he has spent too much time on projects like the Alliance of Civilizations—an initiative to encourage dialogue between Muslim nations and the West backed by the United Nations (UN)—and his policies of granting more autonomy to Spain’s 19 regions. Rajoy declared: “You have to think about human beings, not civilizations and territories. (...) We have had enough of governing from the moon.”
On Feb. 25, Zapatero and Rajoy participated in a televised debate—the first to feature Spain’s two main party leaders since the 1996 electoral campaign.
Zapatero accused the PP leader of never getting over his electoral defeat four years ago and using divisive tactics to get even, including what he called “personal insults against the president.” Zapatero urged voters to choose between those who “serve the citizens” and those who “have tried to use them to get to power.”
Rajoy questioned Zapatero’s rationale to seek talks with armed group Basque Motherland and Liberty (ETA), declaring, “You lied. You fooled all the Spanish people. You toyed with the law. (...) Political negotiation with a terrorist organization, this is something which has never been seen in Spain, it’s this government’s biggest failure.”
On Mar. 4, Zapatero and Rajoy participated in the second and final televised debate of the campaign. Zapatero criticized Rajoy’s views on immigration, saying, “When you talk about immigration you forget a fundamental issue—cooperation, the social dialogue. I know that the idea of dialogue brings you out in a rash but you cannot form an efficient immigration policy unless you have agreement with employers and unions. All the work we have done on immigration over the last four years has had the agreement of employers and unions.”
Rajoy expressed dismay, declaring, “You have not instigated a negotiated policy with unions or employers, you have done absolutely nothing, nothing apart from giving papers to many people, a move that has been criticized throughout the European Union and that has caused lots of problems for the Spanish people. You have not put any money towards integrating the immigrants, you’re not aware of this problem.”
On Mar. 6, Zapatero rebuked criticism by the PP that his government is to blame for a slowing economy, saying, “They want to frighten you about the economy because then they will have an excuse for not raising pensions. They want to frighten you about the economy because then they would freeze, as they did before, grants, financial aid for housing and everything that makes the social state stronger—that is our main aim.”
On Mar. 7, Socialist Basque council member Isaías Carrasco was gunned down in Mondragón-Arrasate by a purported member of armed group Basque Motherland and Liberty (ETA).
Zapatero expressed dismay at the situation, saying, “The Spanish people do not admit challenges from people who trample on their rights. We don’t admit them today, and we will never accept them. We will defend our institutions and freedoms.”
Rajoy declared: “The only culprits are the terrorists. The only option is their defeat on the side of the law. (...) Rights and freedoms will return to Spain, no one should have any doubt.”
Voting took place on Mar. 9. Final results gave the governing PSOE a victory with 43.36 per cent of the vote and 169 seats in the Congress of Deputies, followed by the PP with 39.85 per cent and 153 mandates. Nine other parties won seats in the lower house.
Zapatero declared: “The Spanish people have spoken clearly and decided to start a new era. I will govern by strengthening the things we have done well and correcting the mistakes.” Rajoy conceded defeat, saying, “Everybody knows what we are and what I believe in, what my values are and what my convictions are. And that is what I intend this party will go on defending. (...) The PP will be up to the task.”
Voter turnout was tabled at 75.32 per cent.
Political Players
King: Juan Carlos I
President of the Government: José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (PSOE)
Legislative Branch: The Cortes Generales (General Courts) have two chambers. The Congreso de los Diputados (Congress of Deputies) has 350 members, elected to four-year terms by proportional representation in each province. The Senado (Senate) has 248 members; 208 members are elected to four-year terms in four-member constituencies and 40 members are designated by the regional legislatures.
Results of Last Election:
Congress of Deputies - Mar. 9, 2008
|
Vote% |
Seats |
|
|
Socialist Worker’s Party (PSOE) |
43.36% |
169 |
|
Popular Party (PP) |
39.85% |
153 |
|
United Left (IU) / Initiative for Catalonia-Greens (IC-V) |
3.77% |
2 |
|
Convergence and Union (CiU) |
3.03% |
11 |
|
Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) |
1.18% |
6 |
|
Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) |
1.16% |
3 |
|
Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) |
0.81% |
2 |
|
Canarian Coalition (CC) |
0.64% |
2 |
|
Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD) |
1.20% |
1 |
|
Nafarroa Bai (NaBai) |
0.25% |
1 |
Senate - Mar. 9, 2008
|
Seats |
|
|
Socialist Worker’s Party (PSOE) |
164 |
|
Popular Party (PP) |
148 |
|
Convergence and Union (CiU) |
10 |
|
Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) |
8 |
|
Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) |
7 |
|
United Left (IU) / Initiative for Catalonia-Greens (IC-V) |
5 |
|
Canarian Coalition (CC) |
3 |
|
Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) |
2 |
|
Aragonese Junta (CHA) |
1 |
|
Basque Solidarity (EA) |
1 |
|
Nafarroa Bai (NaBai) |
1 |