The Hindu : Spain goes to the polls today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 14, 2004

International

International

Spain goes to the polls today

By Batuk Gathani

BRUSSELS, MARCH 13. The general election in Spain on Sunday will highlight the departure of the Prime Minister, Jose Maria Aznar, from day to day politics, paving way for his handpicked successor, Mariano Rajoy, a 48-year-old lawyer. After eight years as Prime Minister, Mr. Aznar (51) is one of the favourites for the post of the first elected President of the European Union.

The speculation is academic as Berlin and Paris are not comfortable with his "close personal rapport and friendship" with the U.S. President, George Bush and the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

Both his admirers and friends agree that Mr. Aznar has put his mark on Spain's place in the European Union, while he has also emerged as a key ally of the Bush administration as an ardent supporter of the war against "global terrorism".

Mr. Aznar, the former tax inspector who emerged on the political scene as "Mr. Nobody" less than a decade ago, has ensured that Spain today ranks among the most powerful economic powers of Europe.

In his election speeches, he pointed out that Spain now ranked eighth largest industrial power in the world. This is a remarkable achievement for a country, which for decades was languishing in the economic backwaters of Europe.

In the sixties and seventies, Spain and Portugal were the main suppliers of migrant labourers to the more prosperous economic regions of Western Europe. Today, it is a major manufacturer and exporter. Spain has a powerful economic clout in the South American markets.

Mr. Rajoy is committed to follow Mr. Aznar's political agenda. The centre-right agenda of the Popular Party has a populist appeal and the electioneering has been further consolidated by its well-oiled party machine. Spain's involvement in the Iraq war has been highlighted by the deployment of some 1300 troops there. The Opposition Socialist Party, led by the 43-year-old lawyer, Zapatero, is disorganised.

The key electoral issues are health and economy and there is concern over the high rate of unemployment which hovers round the nine per cent mark. Then there is shortage of affordable housing and workers worry about the future of their pension benefits.

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