Socialist win in Spanish general election

[Murazor]

BBC.

Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's ruling Socialist Party has won Spain's general elections, with the conservative Popular Party (PP) admitting defeat. But with 90% of votes counted, the Socialists looked set to fall short of the 176 seats needed for an absolute parliamentary majority.

They were projected to win 164 seats, compared to 148 for Mariano Rajoy's PP.

Mr Zapatero thanked jubilant supporters for handing his party a "clear victory" in the elections.

"The Spanish people have spoken clearly and have decided to open a new period without tension, without confrontation," he told the flag-waving crowd gathered outside his Socialist Party's Madrid headquarters.

He added that he had already received a congratulatory phone call from his opponent.

High turnout

Admitting defeat, Pio Garcia Escudero, the PP's campaign coordinator said he would "like to congratulate the Socialists".


Mr Zapatero's campaign was based on his strong economic record
But he said Sunday's elections had also given the PP a good result.

"The number of votes we have won has risen considerably from 2004, as has the number of seats," he said. "That gives us enormous satisfaction."

Correspondents say the result may force the Socialist party to re-forge an uncomfortable alliance with a smaller regional nationalist party.

The elections were marred by Friday's killing of the former Socialist councillor, Isaias Carrasco, in the Basque Country.

Police have blamed Basque separatists for the shooting, which brought election campaigning to an early close, but so far no group has claimed responsibility.

There had been a high turnout before polling stations closed at 2000 (1900 GMT).

Credit crunch

In 2004, voters turned out in high numbers - galvanised by the Madrid train bombings that killed 191 people three days earlier - to give Mr Zapatero a surprise victory over Mr Rajoy's conservative government.

This time, the faltering economy, rising inflation and unemployment, and immigration have all been high-profile campaign issues.

After a decade of good growth, Spain's economy is stuttering. Inflation is at a 10-year high and unemployment is the highest this century.

The Spanish housing boom is dwindling, exacerbated by the global credit crunch.

Mr Rajoy's conservative opposition party focused on immigration, a bigger issue than in previous polls.

The Socialists, meanwhile, highlighted the liberal reforms of their time in office, including the introduction of a gender-equality law, fast-track divorces and same-sex marriage.

Spain's 35 million voters were electing 350 members of the Cortes, or lower house of parliament, and 208 members of the 264-member upper house, the Senate.

The remaining 56 Senate seats are decided by indirect election by assemblies in Spain's 17 autonomous regions.

Smaller parties, such as the United Left Party, and Catalan and Basque nationalist parties may hold the balance of power if the race is close.

Now, with over 95% of votes counted, the PSOE has 169 and the PP 154, so a rather solid Socialist victory is pretty much guaranteed, although they are going to need some support from one of the smaller parties.

[The Yosemite Bear]

and franco turns over in his grave.

[Adrian Laguna]

and franco turns over in his grave.

Not necessarily, when he started the Civil War, it was because the official government was full of hard left lunatics and anarchists. The Socialist party is leftist but sane. It is also worth noting that Franco's brand of fascism was explicitly anti-capitalist.

[Murazor]

For whom it may concern, the results are pretty much definitive now. Socialists 169, Populars 154. And the United Left commies are really pissed this year (kind of justified, considering that they only have two seats with nearly a million votes, whereas the Catalonian Nutjobs get three with less than a third of the number of votes).

[Murazor]

Not necessarily, when he started the Civil War, it was because the official government was full of hard left lunatics and anarchists. The Socialist party is leftist but sane. It is also worth noting that Franco's brand of fascism was explicitly anti-capitalist.

First, the official government after the 1936 elections was largely under control of the moderate wings of the Socialists and Azaña's centrists. The CNT anarchists weren't part of the government at all and the communists weren't given free reign until the military coup forced the hand of the government, because the chain of command had been pretty thoroughly compromised and the only force that they could use to try to fight the coup were the party militias.

Second, Franco didn't "start the Civil War". The whole conspiracy was organized by Emilio Mola from Pamplona, while Franco was sitting in the fence until two days after the beginning of the uprising. It was pure luck (securing control of the Moroccan troops, gaining Italian support, securing Seville's ammo factories...) that eventually allowed him to become the leader of the rebels.

Third, he was anything but anti-capitalist. The fascists led by Primo de Rivera actually were, but they were discretely assimilated into the state structure he created, until the name was the only thing left of the original fascist Falange party. The 1936 coup was supported, funded and cheered by the oligarchy.

And sorry if I sound too vitriolic, but there is no possible justification for the uprising that started the damn Civil War here.

[K. A. Pital]

and franco turns over in his grave.

Not necessarily, when he started the Civil War, it was because the official government was full of hard left lunatics and anarchists. The Socialist party is leftist but sane. It is also worth noting that Franco's brand of fascism was explicitly anti-capitalist.

That's bullshit. Murazor already dealt with the "lunatic" part - the official government wasn't "hard left lunatic" neither "anarchist". Anarchists didn't support the Left in the election even (however, they fought in the Civil War on the Republican side when it came to this).

Franco's fascism wasn't "anti-capitalist", but pro-capitalist, with a strong alliance of nationalists, bourgeois, and the Catholic clergy. How the fuck would Franco even get money if he wasn't sponsored by capitalist circles and foreign fascist powers alike - it's not like he controlled the national finance or anything. And really how are monarchists and falangists - anti-socialist and explicitly pro-capitalist movements whose aim was the creation of, well, a capitalist dictatorship - "anti-capitalist"? Because you think they are?

And yes, Franco should turn over in his grave - his last statue was removed by the Socialists, wasn't it... I guess they don't really like that fellow "anti-capitalist"