Friday, March 14, 2008

ZAPATERO (2)







Many thanks to GOYA, EL JUEVES and EL PAÍS (English Edition).



The Socialist Party secretary, José Blanco, last night (March,9)claimed victory in Sunday’s general election, a result that would give Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero a second term in office.

Shortly after polling stations closed at 8pm, all the exit polls for the general election pointed to a Socialist victory, with the gap between the incumbent party and the PP ranging between 11 and 26 congressional seats.

Three of the four polls had the PSOE near an absolute majority
of 176 seats, up from its current 164, predicting a more convincing
win than had been expected. At press time, with 56 percent
of votes counted, PSOE was set to win 171 seats, with the PP on 150 — just three more than it won when losing power in 2004. The United Left (IU) and the Catalan
Republican Left (ERC) looked set to be the big losers, with half as many seats as last term.


A new party with an anti-regional nationalist program led by former Socialist Rosa Díez, Unión
Progreso y Democracia (UPyD), appeared set to obtain a seat in Congress, while the Basque nationalists of PNV and the Catalan nationalists of CiU looked like they would keep their seven and 10 seats, respectively.


Turnout figures at the polls were high throughout the day, generally lagging slightly behind
the extremely high figures of 2004, an election which took place three days after the March
11 terrorist bomb attacks in which 191 people died. All parties urged voters to again turn out in
force as a response to the murder of a former politician in the Basque Country by ETA on Friday.


The final turnout figure was expected to be around 74 percent, four percent down on four
years ago. Historically, a higher turnout favors the Socialist Party, which
had urged voters to turn out en masse throughout the campaign. Over 35 million Spaniards were eligible to vote yesterday, including 1.2 million living abroad.
In 2004, the Socialists beat the PP by a million votes, representing a 16-seat difference in
Congress. As the largest minority, the governing Socialists had to seek support from nationalist
parties such as the ERC. In a significant rise from 2004, over 1,100 candidates were running
for a seat in Congress, while another 1,220 fought for one of 208 Senate seats, an increase of
around 30 percent in both cases. Another marked difference was a 75 percent increase in the number of female candidates, the result of new legislation aimed at gender equality in politics. Many, however, were relegated to the bottom of their party lists, where they were unlikely to secure a seat.


In any event, the 10th elections to Congress and the Senate in Spain’s modern democratic era will be remembered for the polarization and fiercely partisan politics displayed during the
race for office. Immigration, the economy and terrorism were the main focus of the campaign, while others such as health, corruption or constitutional reform—once considered “hot” issues — were conspicuously absent from both main candidates’ speeches and
their head-to-head televised debates in the two weeks prior to the vote. Instead, both Zapatero and Rajoy focused on the economic downturn by embarking on a race to offer voters the most money, either directly or indirectly. Besides promising higher pensions, family subsidies and all
sorts of assistance in the repayment of home loans, Zapatero directly promised 400€ to every citizen in tax breaks, while Rajoy said he will eliminate personal income tax altogether for people who earn less than 16,000€ a year.

Saturday, March 08, 2008

ZAPATERO


Many non-speaking Spanish people know that the word ZAPATO means SHOE and I am sure they can easily guess what ZAPATERO means ... ... ... SHOEMAKER.


Well, as I am not supposed to be trying to persuade my hordes of Spanish readers to increase the expected turnout on March 9, allow me to recommend this vintage song written and sang by my most admired BRIAN ENO ('Another Green World' album).


I'LL COME RUNNING (TO TIE YOUR SHOES)


I'll find a place somewhere in the corner I'm gonna waste the rest of my days Just watching patiently from the window Just waiting seasons change, some day, oh oh, My dreams will pull you through that garden gate.


I want to be the wandering sailor We're silhouettes by the light of the moon I sit playing solitaire by the window Just waiting, seasons change, ah hah, you'll see Some day these dreams will pull you through my door


And I'll come running to tie your shoe I'll come running to tie your shoe I'll come running to tie your shoe I'll come running to tie your shoe


Oh, oh oh-oh-oho-oho-oho-oho-oho-o-o-oOh, oh oh-oh-oho-oho-oho-oho-oho-o-o-o I'll come running to tie your shoe I'll come running to tie your shoe I'll come running to tie your shoe...


And then what?

I will be your Zapatero, seeing that GODOT has failed to arrive.