Socialist leader Zapatero voted in as Spanish prime minister

Associated Press ^ | 4-16-04

[Oldeconomybuyer]

MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Socialist Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero won parliamentary approval Friday as Spain's prime minister, stepping forward to govern a nation shocked by a terrorist bombing and al-Qaida threats of more bloodshed.

A total of 183 lawmakers in the 350-seat Congress of Deputies voted in favor of Zapatero, who guided his party to a surprise win in last month's general election -- a vote overshadowed by the Madrid rail bombings of March 11.

In a break with the policies of his conservative predecessor, Zapatero has pledged to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq if the United Nations does not take a role in stabilizing that country.

Zapatero's Spanish Socialist Workers Party won 164 seats in the election, 12 short of a majority. On Friday he obtained that cushion with help from small, mainly regional parties holding a total of 19 votes.

[snip]

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Fri Apr 16, 7:19 AM ET
Spanish prime minister-elect Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. The Spanish parliament convened to conclude a two-day debate to endorse

[B.O. Plenty]

To Spanish Freepers:

Keep an eye on your money....Zapatero(Shoemaker, I believe) is after your money to give to the "less fortunate"....or to make society more "equal"...which means equal sharing of the misery...except for him and his socalist friends, of course.