Pain in Spain: Current Politics

As in other countries, Spain's leadership will be tested by the uncertain economic climate currently circling the globe. Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero came into power in 2004 and was re-elected in 2008 on a platform of social justice, government decentralization, and Eurocentrism. But economic issues are likely to dominate the next few years as the country deals with the collapsing construction and real estate industries, rising inflation, high unemployment, and growing unease over lenient immigration policies.

Zapatero is the leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), the parliamentary party heading up the current minority government. The main opposition party, the center-right Popular Party (PP), is led by Mariano Rajoy. The power broker is the Catalan regional party, Convergence and Union (CiU), whose main goal is greater autonomy from Madrid. Other more radical regional parties, such as the separatist Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), currently have little influence in the Cortes, the Spanish parliament. The monarch, King Juan Carlos, is the head of state but his parliamentary duties are chiefly ceremonial and cultural.

Relations with the United States are somewhat strained due to Zapatero's unilateral decision to withdraw troops from Iraq (a popular campaign promise in 2004), from an insistence on good relations with U.S. bete-noire Cuba, and from recent armaments pacts between Spain and Venezuela. Relations with Great Britain are also not so good as Zapatero still blames the island nation for following the U.S. into the Iraq quagmire. Disagreements over immigration crackdowns and/or amnesties have marred relations with the rest of Europe, despite Zapatero's strong support of the European Union constitution and of issues important to France and Germany, such as gender equality and education reform.

Women cabinet ministers currently outnumber the men in Spain. Defense Minister Carme Piqueras Chacon, who recently gave birth to a son, is frequently quoted in the press on military issues as Spanish peacekeeping forces are currently active in U.N. missions in Afghanistan, Lebanon, and the Balkans. Although an admitted pacifist, Chacon has shown strong support for dealing sternly with lawlessness, such as recent incidents involving the hijacking of ships by Somali pirates.

Zapatero had made good on many promises, such as freeing much social legislation from religious influence, but may yet falter in the face of recessionary economic forces. The prosperity brought about by a two-decade strong contruction boom has now abruptly faded. Similar to the situation by now well documented in the U.S., the credit crunch and subprime mortgage mess are affecting the banking industry and individual homeowners in all regions of Spain. Public faith in the government in general and in Finance Minister Pedro Solbes in particular is likely to be tested in the coming months. Zapatero's pledge to freeze his paycheck and that of several other top government officials in an austerity move may well be viewed as too little, too late, and too lamely symbolic in the current circumstances.

Technically, Zapatero and the PSOE hold office until the next election cycle which is set for spring 2012; however, should the economy descend into real crisis, there is a possibility of a no-confidence vote which would precipitate earlier elections under the country's parliamentary system.

"Spain's Bust: Vacant Lot", Economist Magazine

"Spanish PM freezes his wages, announces austerity measures to battle economic slowdown", Xinhua Newswire

Carter Dougherty, "A Building Hangover for Spain's Economy", New York Times

Lisa Abend, "Spain's Pregnant Defense Minister", Time Magazine

Jenny Booth, "Europe to send warships to defeat Somali pirates", Times Online