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Europe

Spain’s conservatives earn resounding election victory

2011-11-21

MADRID — Spanish conservatives won a resounding mandate at the polls Sunday, freeing them to make deep austerity cuts as they struggle to pull the country’s economy out of a tailspin. In an election marked by bitter disappointment and desperation over the euro zone’s highest unemployment rate, the Socialists who have led the country since 2004 were cast from office in their worst showing in the modern era of Spain’s democracy. Conservatives won 186 of the 350 seats in parliament; the Socialists won 110. But the sharp swing was more a result of millions of voters abandoning the Socialists for smaller parties, not conservatives picking up new voters, suggesting a country more dispirited with the policies of the past than excited about the future. The leader of the conservatives, Mariano Rajoy, 56, will not take over for another month, but he is widely expected to announce his economic team and strategy in the coming days. “It is times like these that measure what men and societies are made of,” Rajoy said Sunday in his victory speech. “Our destiny is to play a big role in and with Europe. We will be more loyal but also more demanding. . . . There aren’t going to be any miracles, but we didn’t promise them.” Sunday’s vote gives Europe another leader closely aligned with the austerity-based consensus that the continent’s strongest economies say is the solution to what plagues the weaker ones. In recent weeks, leaders in Italy and Greece have been forced from their perches. Still, Rajoy may have limited influence over problems that have spread to France, Austria and the Netherlands — countries long associated with fiscal discipline and economic power — which saw their borrowing costs spike last week. France has called for continent-wide solutions more radical than those applied so far, including the printing of more money to prop up struggling countries, something Germany staunchly opposes. In Spain, Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero had abandoned many of his party’s historic positions to implement budget cuts aimed at getting the country’s finances under control. But they did little to head off the nation’s 22.6 percent unemployment rate. Last week, Spain’s borrowing costs spiked to their highest level since 1997, and one of Rajoy’s first tasks will be to soothe investors’ fears about his country’s viability. Rajoy’s challenger, Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, 60, seemed to accept defeat long before the election was held. Zapatero decided earlier this year not to stand for reelection. “Countries like Spain are on the brink,” said Fernando Fernandez, an economist and former International Monetary Fund official who teaches at IE Business School in Madrid. “This government will have the moral authority” to make changes, he said. Fernandez said that in addition to another round of budget cuts, he expected the new government would overhaul the labor market to make it easier to hire and fire workers, which could help create jobs in the long term but might add to joblessness in the immediate future. Voters Sunday had little enthusiasm for the election, and many said they saw little difference between the two main parties. The Socialists had 4 million fewer votes than in the 2008 election. The conservatives gained just over 500,000 compared with their previous results.

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Europe

Spain opposition ahead in polls

2011-10-17

Spain’s center-right opposition People’s Party (PP) is on track to win a convincing absolute majority in the Nov. 20 general election, two newspaper polls showed on Sunday. If the election were held tomorrow, the PP would get 45.5 percent of the vote, 15.8 percentage points ahead of the ruling Socialists, the PSOE, a poll published by the center-left El Pais showed. A poll published by the right-leaning paper El Mundo put the PP’s lead at 17.2 percentage points, the party’s biggest lead since January. Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has been in power since 2004, but his popularity has plummeted as a result of a recession which has seen unemployment rise to the highest level of any industrialized nation. The Spanish socialists have been beneficiaries of some 'fortunate' terrible events just before the polls in the last couple of elections. Not that we're cynics at the Burg, but I'd ask the police to be extra-careful these next few weeks... According to both polls, the PP, led by Mariano Rajoy, would secure 185 to 196 seats in the 350-seat parliament, handing the party a strong mandate to govern. Rajoy is better able to tackle the economy and markets and inspires more confidence than Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, the veteran PSOE politician running for the Socialist ticket, according to those polled by Metroscopia on behalf of El Pais.

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Europe

Parliament dissolved in Spain, polls on Nov. 20

2011-09-27

MADRID: Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero dissolved Parliament on Monday, but pledged to adopt new measures to tackle an economic crisis if needed before a November election that is expected to hand power to the conservative opposition. Zapatero has called elections for Nov. 20, four months earlier than originally planned, in the hope that faint signs of an economic recovery could offset unpopularity after years of deep austerity measures in a country where one in five is unemployed. He may also be hoping for a terrorist attack to be timed just before the election. Not like it hasn't happened before. Zapatero has been criticized for reacting too late to Spain’s economic turmoil after a burst property bubble, and polls show the conservative People’s Party (PP), led by Mariano Rajoy, likely to defeat the Socialists with an absolute majority in November. The Gesop opinion poll for Catalonian daily El Periodico showed on Monday a total of 46 percent of voters intend to choose the PP. It also showed the Socialists, led into the elections by former Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, obtaining 31.4 percent of votes. The election campaign will officially start on Nov. 4.

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Europe

Al-Qaida branch won't attack Europe: France

2011-08-06

[Dawn] La Belle France's top judge in the fight against terrorism said Friday that al-Qaeda's North African wing has shown no ability to strike in Europe or elsewhere beyond its zone of operations. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, born of a former turban group in Algeria, remains motivated largely out of a desire to attack former colonial power La Belle France. It currently holds four kidnapped Frenchies, and French officials have called the group the biggest terror threat to La Belle France and its interests. In an interview, anti-terrorism judge Marc Trevidic suggested AQIM is being forced to work hard to control parts of its traditional territory in the Sahel region ... North Africa's answer to the Pak tribal areas... along the southern Sahara. "It's been shown that AQIM is only able to strike in its own zone, by wanting to kill tourists, and we have seen nothing emerge as a significant foreign operation in Europe that was really organized by AQIM," he said. Still, AQIM has been active in offering statements of support through the Internet to would-be hard boyz in Europe, Trevidic said, citing his recent case files. "It's incitation without a structure behind it," he said. The group is "holed up, and already has troubles controlling its zone ... Only when a terror group is very strong in its own territory will it begin exporting." Many European officials are more concerned. In June, Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba called AQIM a growing menace that could spread beyond its base unless Western nations step up efforts to counter it. It has rendered huge parts of Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Algeria off-limits to foreigners.

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Europe

Spanish police clash with protesters

2011-05-28

[Al Jazeera] Riot police firing rubber bullets and wielding truncheons have clashed with protesters as authorities cleared away a makeshift camp set up as part of a Spain-wide demonstration against the country's economic problems. Friday's altercation left more than 100 people, including coppers, injured. The trouble started when police tried to clear the protesters from a main square in Barcelona so sanitation workers could clean it up before possible celebrations after a soccer match on Saturday night. Many of the protesters, who are angry about high unemployment, anti-austerity measures and politicians' handling of the economy refused to move. TV images showed officers beating the demonstrators and dragging them on the ground. Some wound up with bloodied hands and heads, or broken limbs. Match forced evacuation Felip Puig, the front man for Catalonia's regional Interior Ministry, said 84 protesters and 37 police were maimed. Officers were seen hauling people away, but Puig did not say how many had been placed in durance vile and he didn't say how serious the injuries were. He did say one protester had a broken arm. "I can assure you that there was aggression against the police with rocks, bits of wood, blows, shoves, with violence, with sprays," Puig said. He said police had fired six rubber bullets, 12 unspecified "projectiles" and 236 rounds of blank warning shots. The protesters were allowed to return to the plaza, which has been occupied by protesters for nearly two weeks, after it was cleaned. Reports say the projectiles were rubber balls. Puig justified the authorities' action by saying the plaza had to be cleaned because soccer fans will gather there on Saturday night after the Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United in London. Scuffles also broke out between authorities and protesters in the city of Lleida, west of Barcelona. Two people were reportedly placed in durance vile. United behind the slogan "Real Democracy Now", tens of thousands of mostly young people have set up around-the-clock protest camps in cities and towns across Spain since May 15 to complain about the government's handling of the economic crisis and what they see as a corrupted political party system. Growing debt, unemployment Nearly two years of recession have left Spain with a 21.3 per cent unemployment rate, the highest in the Eurozone, and major debt problems. The rate jumps to 35 per cent for people aged 16 to 29, and many young and highly educated Spaniards can't find jobs as the Eurozone's No. 4 economy struggles. The biggest protest has been in Madrid's Puerta del Sol square, where tens of thousands of people held nightly protests for nearly a week before regional elections last weekend. On Friday, about 500 people were still camping in the plaza, but they indicated they might move on within several days. Riot police have monitored the Madrid protesters, but have not intervened. Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, the interior minister, said he was reviewing a request by Madrid's regional government to dismantle the city's protest zone because of complaints by merchants that business is suffering in the key tourist area.

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Europe

Spanish PM says won't contest 2012 election

2011-04-03

[Pak Daily Times] Spain's embattled prime minister announced on Saturday he will not seek re-election at general elections in 2012 as his country grapples with debt, high unemployment and a faltering economy badly hit by the international financial crisis. Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero told a party meeting he would limit his time in office to two terms, opening a process of primaries to elect his successor at the helm of the Socialist Party. "I will not be a candidate in the forthcoming general elections," he said, adding it was the right decision for the country, his party and his family. A tired-looking Zapatero said he had been convinced that two terms as leader of the government was enough seven years ago when he first took office, and he remained convinced of that decision today. Zapatero, 50, was elected to office in 2004 in the wake of terror attacks on Madrid's trains that left 191 dead and 1,800 injured, and a wave of public disapproval at the previous government's involvement in the Iraq war. At the time, Spain's economy was one of the most dynamic in Europe having recorded continuous growth for around a decade. But the credit crunch and subsequent financial crisis has dogged Zapatero's second term and immersed Spain in debt and a eurozone-high unemployment rate of 20 percent. The Socialist Party faces regional and municipal elections on May 22 and then must build toward nationwide general elections with a new leader. The most likely candidates are current Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba and Defence Minister Carme Chacon, who would become Spain's first female premier if elected. The Socialists must choose their new candidate in March 2012 for national elections at an as-yet unspecified date later that year. Rubalcaba, 59, is seen by many as a very experienced politician who has acted as Zapatero's hard man against the violent Basque separatists of ETA.

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Europe

Spain's ETA in permanent ceasefire

2011-01-11

[Al Jazeera] The Basque separatist group ETA has declared a permanent ceasefire after more than three decades of fighting for a homeland independent of Spain. The group announced the truce in a statement published on the website of the Basque-language newspaper Gara on Monday. "ETA has decided to declare a permanent and general ceasefire which will be verifiable by the international community," the group said. "This is ETA's firm commitment towards a process to achieve a lasting resolution and towards an end to the armed confrontation. It is time to act with historic responsibility. ETA calls upon those governing Spain and La Belle France to end all repressive measures and to leave aside for once and for all their position of denial towards the Basque Country," it said. The group made no mention of disarming or dissolving the organisation, which are key demands of the Spanish government. Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, Spain's deputy prime minister, rejected the ceasefire, saying it did not go far enough. Guy Hedgecoe, editor of the news website Qorreo.com in Madrid, told Al Jizz the announcement is a significant development, but that people in Spain are sceptical. "We have seen ceasefires before, the most recent was in 2006," he said. "The reason people might be a little cautious today despite this announcement is that they'll look back to 2006 when ETA announced their ceasefire then. "They unilaterally ended that one by planting a bomb in Madrid-Barajas airport, which killed two people. But seeing the fact that they've said this is permanent and internationally verifiable by outside observers is encouraging." ETA has been fighting for a separate homeland for Basque-speaking people in northern Spain and southwestern La Belle France for more than three decades. It is considered a terrorist organisation by the European Union and the US. It has killed more than 825 people since the late 1960s. The group had been pressed for a change in strategy by some members currently serving prison terms for violent acts. Hedgecoe told Al Jizz that Monday's announcement was triggered by a great deal of pressure on the group to declare a ceasefire in recent months, including from its own political wing. "They've been publicly pressurising ETA to move in the direction of a peaceful solution and to end its violent campaign," said Hedgecoe.

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Europe

Spain to adopt Euthanasia legislation in March

2010-11-20

(KUNA) -- Spain's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba affirmed Friday his socialist government was set to get on the bandwagon of euthanasia (or mercy killing). No problem as long as the government ministers are first in line ... "The government will in March, 2011, approve a draft legislation to allow patients with incurable illnesses to die with dignity," Rubalcaba told reporters here after a cabinet meeting. The legislation specifies the conditions where life-support systems should be disconnected to allow patients have a dignified death and put an end to their and their families' long suffering. "In such cases medicine has tools to ensure that death takes place without suffering," he affirmed. The draft bill will be in line with the legislations already in place in other European nations, the minister added.

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Caribbean-Latin America

Tension between Spain, Venezuela over ETA

2010-11-06

(KUNA) -- Spain said Friday it was extremely annoyed by Venezuelan His Excellency President-for-Life, Caudillo of the Bolivarians Hugo Chavez's accusation that Madrid was blaming Caracas for allegedly supporting separatist group ETA. Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said that Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jiminez had conveyed Madrid's concern and annoyance to Venezuelan Ambassador to Spain and told him that Chavez's statements were "unacceptable and unjustifiable." At a news conference, Rubalcaba said the Spanish government was still keen to continue cooperation with Venezuela to crack down on ETA and capturing all of its outlaws. He said Spain was doing its best to cooperate with Venezuela to "fighting terrorism." Chavez announced earlier today his firm rejection to recent statements by a number of Spanish ministers who were accusing the Venezuelan government of collaborating with ETA and backing its activities in Venezuela, under supervision of one of the officials in the Venezuelan Ministry of Agriculture. Chavez said these accusations were "vague and unust" against the Venezuelan people and government. He said the accusations were an attempt to justify inability of the Spanish government to fighting ETA. Chavez called on the Spanish government and media to stop these "unjust" accusations. Spain had officially asked Venezuela last week to extradite Arturo Cubillas, allegedly accused of having links with ETA. Spain wanted to question Cubillas in Madrid on charges of committing terrorist acts, cooperating with ETA and facilitating the separatist group's mission in Venezuela. Two ETA separatists confessed in the court that they had received military training in Venezuela in 2008. Venezuela refused to hand over Cubillas because he is a Venezuelan citizen. Caracas, however, investigated the incident and Cubillas testified before a court last Wednesday.

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Europe

Spain requests extradition of ETA suspect from Venezuela

2010-10-30

(KUNA) - -Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said that his country has requested the extradition from Venezuela of a suspected activist of the snuffy Basque separatist group ETA. Rubalcaba Said on a Press conference here today, that Spanish judge Eloy Velasco wants to question Cubillas, whom he suspects of promoting cooperation between ETA and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in Venezuela. The government decided to file the request despite Caracas' refusal so far to hand over Arturo Cubillas, an official at the Venezuelan Agriculture Ministry. The Spanish National Court said earlier that two ETA suspects who were nabbed in Spain recently claimed to have received weapons training overseen by Cubillas in Venezuela. The case has created tension between Madrid and Venezuela, who denies protecting ETA. Caracas has promised to investigate the allegations against Cubillas. ETA has killed some 850 people since 1968 in its fight for Basque independence in northern Spain and southern France.

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Europe

Spain: ETA ceasefire not enough

2010-09-07

[Iran Press] Spain has rejected as totally inadequate the declaration of a ceasefire by Basque separatists ETA, saying the group should abandon violence forever. "ETA has to renounce violence completely forever," said Spain's Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba on Monday, AFP reported. "We are not going to change a dot or a comma in our anti-terrorist policy. What we want is for ETA to renounce violence. So long as it does not break with violence it will not be admitted into institutions." ETA's victims and political parties have also urged the group to surrender its arms and disband. ETA, which is blamed for hundreds of deaths in its long fight for independence, vowed in a video statement published on Sunday "not to carry out armed actions" anymore. There is skepticism in Spain about the proposed ceasefire. The government maintains that ETA had no other way but to declare a ceasefire. It argues that dozens of ETA members, including some leaders, have been detained while the group has lost a main logistical base in Portugal, leading to its current weakening position. "ETA is stopping because it can't go on any more," he said.

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Afghanistan

3 Spanish cops killed by Afghan police recruit

2010-08-25

An Afghan police recruit has shot dead two Spanish police officers and their interpreter in Badghis province, north-western Afghanistan, officials say. The assailant opened fire during a training session in a premeditated attack, according to Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba. Security forces returned fire and killed the police recruit. The Taliban says the cadet was working for them, but the militant claims could not be verified. The BBC's Quentin Sommerville in the capital, Kabul, says hundreds of men attacked the base shouting and throwing stones. Some attempted to scale the walls and shots were also fired, our correspondent says. The protest has now ended, and a local hospital spokesman said 24 people had been injured - some with bullet wounds. Video at the link of the Rage Boys™ doing their Rage Boy™ thing...

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