Posted on 11/20/2011 11:56:52 AM PST by Arthurio
Spain's right stormed to a landslide election victory Sunday, an exit poll said, as voters toppled yet another eurozone government engulfed in a deepening debt crisis.
Bowed by a 21.5 percent jobless rate, a stalled economy and spending cuts, the 36 million-strong electorate ended the Socialists' seven-year rule with a shattering defeat, the exit poll showed.
Opposition leader Mariano Rajoy's Popular Party took an absolute majority of between 181 and 185 seats in the 350-member Congress of Deputies, said projections based on an exit poll by public broadcaster RTVE.
The ruling Socialist party PSOE won between 115 and 119 seats, the poll said.
If the exit poll is correct, Rajoy will have a free hand to ram through severe austerity measures in the eurozone's fourth biggest economy.
Spain is the fifth and last of the so-called periphery eurozone nations to ditch its government this year after Ireland, Portugal, Greece and Italy.
Though considered uncharismatic, Rajoy won support from voters lured by his promise to fix the economy and create jobs, even if it means more austerity.
He vowed to make cuts "everywhere", except for pensions, so as to meet Spain's target of cutting the public deficit to 4.4 percent of gross domestic product in 2012 from 9.3 percent last year.
(Excerpt) Read more at thejakartaglobe.com ...
Actually that is not true just a bit of nonsense that has been on FR for all these years - the PP always gets the majority of the votes for one party as the socialists are spilt 20 ways with all their parties.
So, to say the right were winning but lost the election is nonsense - they are always winning in the raw vote but the socialist all close ranks and make a coalition against them.
The people just did not like Aznar joining with Bush and Blair to invade Iraq. This was also compounded by the pair of them not inviting him to the meeting in the Azores after he put his Presidency on the line for them.
Everyone knew, except in America, that he was out regardless of the Madrid train bombing.
The fact that he was leading in the polls but lost is normal. In every election they have had since Franco the PP have always been leading in the polls but they need 51% to win.
Let's see if we can get a conservative government here in the US next year so's we can cut the public deficit from 37% of GDP (including the estimated drain of regulations) to anywhere near the Cut-cap-balance ideal of 18 or 19%.
WHAT?? The Izzies didn’t blow up something to change the election again?
My 87 yo SIL is prolly tipping the La Ina bottle tonight!
Good for her, what part of Spain does she live?
Or Massachusetts, Texas and Freddie Mac.
Oh wait. Why is Texas in there?
It doesn’t much matter whether the new gov’t is for austerity, or profligate spending, or free jello pudding for everybody. The numbers will rule and the debt load is constricting. What I expect is for across-the-board trimming that simply slows spending enough to suppress the general economy gradually and modestly—no radical changes. Thus, the core problems will continue but at a somewhat lower spending level. The average Spaniard will acclimate to a lower standard of living and the ambitious Spaniards will try to move to the U.S. or some EU country with a slightly better standard of living—similar to what Ukranians, Russians, Chinese, and Mexicans have been doing for years. The new 20/20/20 plan for EU countries: twenty percent unemployment, twenty percent inflation, and twenty percent less pay.
Sevilla
So, are you moved yet?
Sounds like a program I could get behind.
Still settling in but yes. Weather has been strange but LOVE TEXAS!!!! And LMAO at the people in Kali (latest: yet ANOTHER gasoline tax in the works).
Moving is THE WORST thing a human being can experience. I have a brother that seems to move frequently. I don’t know how he does it.
Well, we will need you because that is probably how it is going to have to happen here. The only question is when, and no one knows if we are on the precipice of complete collapse or just a slow, painful decline.
Socialism voluntarily and democratically put in place by society is very, very hard to get rid of. The pattern, best I can tell, has rarely been broken with Thatcher being one of the few examples of a reversal. Other than that, Europe has been on a slow decline characterized by mostly left wing governments interrupted occasionally by conservative rule that is never able to curtail the social welfare state because the people can't really stomach any cuts.
When we do finally deal with the socialist rot in this country, I am convinced the constitution will need to be amended to specifically rule out any chance the federal entitlement state ever returns.
I know. I didn't know what this strange weather thing was, either, when we first arrived here. LOL
Just thank your lucky stars that you didn't land here in the middle of summer. You might have turned around and headed back to Cali. It was that brutal.
Moving is THE WORST thing a human being can experience.
I feel yer pain. Me, the wife, and the kids moved ourselves out here from Cali in two trips (yes, TWO). I drove the U-Haul both times, and I tell you, I never want to do that again.
>>I feel yer pain. Me, the wife, and the kids moved ourselves out here from Cali in two trips (yes, TWO). I drove the U-Haul both times, and I tell you, I never want to do that again.<<
Lordy — I was spent after ONE trip and that was shipping the stuff separately in those cube things.
I have spent 3 summers in the DFW area (I travel for a living). It is pretty bad (which is why we closed in August but waited until October to move), but that is why God made central A/C :)
Ping.
Man, you ain't gonna get any respect from Texans, talking like that! I say you do one summer's penance with no a/c to make up for it. LOL
I have spent 3 summers in the DFW area (I travel for a living). It is pretty bad (which is why we closed in August but waited until October to move), but that is why God made central A/C :)
Smart move (no pun intended). After being here for six years, I've grown to have a deep and abiding respect for those Texans who toughed it out here before the advent of central air conditioning. I work outdoors, and during the height of the summer heat, I often wondered to myself just how they did it. They were some seriously tough people.
Thanks for the ping. I hope this new government succeeds in balancing their economy, so we can take notes as to how they do it.
Off point but per British comedian John Cleese
The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.
I have been watching this on & off over the weekend. I thought of you often. HOw exciting
ARe you on Facebook? if yes, I will PM you my name /link
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