Five million Spaniards are unemployed. And it is that figure that has perhaps the biggest influence on Spain's elections on November 20. Bad news dominates the electoral campaign: on top of a 21.5% unemployment rate - the EU's highest - the Bank of Spain is forecasting zero economic growth for the third quarter of the year. And with the spectre of a harsh austerity plan looming large, the economic outlook for 2012 remains bleak.
The fall-out from the economic crisis and the feeling that ordinary citizens - and not the rich - are paying the price, has fuelled widespread social discontent and a degree of mistrust towards the main parties.
The "Indignados", similar to the Occupy Movement in other parts of the world, lists among its demands electoral reforms that will give a louder voice to smaller parties which absent from parliament. The protesters are threatening to defy a ban on demonstrations in Madrid on the eve of the vote.
Over the last few weeks, the conservative opposition People's Party (PP) has forged an opinion poll lead over the governing Socialists. For many observers, the best-case scenario for the Socialist Party (PSOE) would be to deprive the PP of a majority in parliament.
The recent announcement by Basque group ETA that it was definitively laying down its arms has been a rare piece of good news in an otherwise downbeat campaign.
Spain’s Rajoy defends austerity measuresSpain’s prime minister has faced the media for the first time since his new government passed a raft of austerity measures. Mariano Rajoy reassured…
Rajoy elected Spanish PM after parliament voteSpain’s incoming Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has won a vote of confidence in parliament. He received 187 votes in favour, 149 against and 14 abstentions…
After heavy election loss Spain PM will be part of ‘responsible opposition’Though he will not officially become prime minister until about a month from now, Mariano Rajoy has to start working on a plan to pull Spain out of economic…
Basque left electoral gains contrasts Spanish conservative winIn an interview by satellite link with politician Jon Inarritu in the city of San Sebastian in Spain’s Basque region, euronews asked him about the Amaiur…
Can Spain’s new government get more people back to work?Some people without jobs in Spain are optimistic that their new government will revitalise their prospects by fixing the country’s economic problems. The…
Basque peace dividend in MadridNationalists in Spain’s autonomous northern Basque region have real reasons to celebrate these elections. The Amaiur left-wing coalition of several parties…
Economic challenges face victorious Rajoy in SpainAfter Mariano Rajoy’s landslide victory in Sunday’s election in Spain, now begins the hard task of fixing the country’s serious economic problems. His…
Spain’s conservatives win an absolute majorityThe Congress of deputies or lower house has 350 seats and Mario Rajoy’s centre right won 186 seats a landslide majority to take control. The Socialists in…
Spain’s conservatives sweep to victoryIn Madrid, Mariano Rajoy has led his PP party, the centre right conservatives, to their greatest victory in a Spanish election after over seven years in…
Socialist debacle signals a change in SpainThe mood of defeat swept through the Socialist Party headquarters earlier than was expected. It was their most humiliating loss in the polls for 30 years in…
Right turn at the Spanish ParliamentThe centre-right Popular Party, has stormed to victory at the Spanish parliamentary elections with provisional counts showing them winning a 44.6 percent…
Spanish Elections: Rajoy set to winAn early count based on the official results of 78 percent of polling stations, shows the Popular Party winning with 44 percent of the vote. This would…
Spanish Elections: Exit poll resultsVoting stations in Spain have now closed, and exit polls suggest a landslide victory for Popular Party President, Mariano Rajoy. The poll showed the…
Spanish Election: Rajoy comments on landslide victoryMariano Rajoy, the leader of the Popular Party has commented his comfortable victory on the night of the Spanish election. He began by thanking those who…
Spanish Election: Rubalcaba admits defeatThe PSOE candidate Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba has made a statement at his party headquarters that he has “clearly lost the election,“ and thanked those who did…
Spanish Elections: Lower voter participationEarly reports indicate a decrease in voter turnout at this years Spanish elections. At 18:00 CET the 57.59 percent of those eligible to vote had done…
Rajoy’s rise as Spain slumpsMariano Rajoy was the candidate who never quit, no matter what remarks were made about his charisma. His perseverance became a trademark, a political asset…
Zapatero’s seven years in MadridThe economic crisis made Spanish reformist prime minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero throw in the sponge in September and call autumn elections. Saying…
Conservatives poised for victory as Spain votesIt is looking like it will be third time lucky for People’s Party leader Mariano Rajoy. Having led Spain’s conservatives in two previous failed…
Spanish voters set to swing to the right over euro crisisVoting is underway in Spain’s general election which is expected to see the country swing towards the centre-right People’s Party. Widespread anger over the…
Spanish go to the pollsFinal preparations are in place for Spain’s general election. Schools have been turned into polling stations and the ballot papers and boxes have been…
Spain’s election: ‘A walk in the park’ for Mariano RajoyThe two frontrunners in Spain’s election have been walking around Madrid’s parks on the day before voting. Striding to victory, Mariano Rajoy looked like a…
Centre right tipped for victory in Spanish electionOn Spain’s last day of campaigning for Sunday’s general election the centre-right Partido Popular was in bouyant mood. That is the result of showing a…
Spain’s centre-right looks set for big election winHe is not celebrating just yet. But as campaigning draws to a close ahead of Sunday’s election, Mariano Rajoy looks all but certain to become Spain’s next…
Sp@nish elections: the race for web supremacyIt’s fair to say the Spanish election race has failed to get hearts racing with excitement. In fact rather than a ‘race’ it resembles a fatigued shuffle…
Scuffles at pre-election protest in SpainJust days before elections in Spain, students and teachers have taken to the streets to make their voices heard. Scuffles broke out between police and some…
Voters set to punish Spanish socialists in electionThree days before the general election in Spain, students are once again protesting against cuts in education. For months, Spanish people have been out on…
Spain’s budget-splitting welfareSocial welfare is the biggest concern of the Spaniards. The worry likely to be the most decisive in the elections is unemployment. Nearly five million people…
Spanish health system unsustainableFor more about the Spanish welfare state, euronews spoke to Guillem López Casasnovas, an economics professor at Barcelona’s Pompeu Fabra University who is…
Spanish 15-M movement demandsTo learn more about the 15-M movement, euronews spoke to Chema Ruiz. Beatriz Beiras, euronews: Mr Ruiz, you’re a lawyer helping people having trouble…
Spanish polls prompt fresh indignados protestSpain’s “indignados” protesters have been gathering in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, a week before the country goes to the polls. They came to express their…
Spain’s gay families’ law worriesFor insight into an important concern for gay families in Spain, euronews spoke with Mercedes Martorell, an expert in family law, in Tarragona. Consuelo…
Spain’s rejected RomaniansNon-Spanish workers in Spain began queuing up to get their papers in order in 2005 — 700,000 foreigners then, when growth was fine. The country welcomed them…
Crisis punishing Spanish brain pool and foreignersTo take a deeper look at the impact of the crisis on immigration in Spain, euronews spoke to Antoni Segura, a contemporary history professor at the University…
Gay rights and Spanish rightThe likelihood of Spain’s conservatives taking power at the next election threatens the country’s law on gay marriage, approved in 2005, one of the social…
Spanish people’s movement refuses to bow to despairIt caught Spanish politics by surprise: thousands of Spaniards outraged by the authorities’ failure to respond to ordinary people’s desperation. They massed…
Centre-right on course for victory in Spanish pollIf the opinion polls are right then Spain’s ruling socialist party looks like losing power in a General Election on the 20th of November. Interior Minister…
Catalonia: The effect of the cuts to the health system The Spanish region of Catalonia is making huge cuts to the budget of its healthcare system. Some say that the cuts are necessary, to balance the books of… 17/11/2011
Reporter: Basque country after ETA The announcement of the final abandonment of armed struggle by ETA, was received with a mixture of scepticism and hope in the Basque region. For decades… 11/11/2011
Spain's Political Parties
Around 36 million voters will have the chance to elect 350 Members of Parliament and 208 Senators from around 20 national and regional parties. The Socialist Party - in power since 2004 - has taken the lion's share of the blame for the economic crisis and are tipped to be the biggest losers in terms of seats.
The People's Party (PP) led by Mariano Rajoy (see left) is the favourite to win the most seats at the election. Rajoy has had several posts as a cabinet minister in the governments of José Maria Aznar (1996/2000 and 2000/2004). His campaign priorities have been tax cuts for companies and job creation.
Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba (see right) faces what this year will be the tough task of spearheading the Socialist Party (PSOE) campaign. Rubalcaba was Interior Minister in the government of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and stepped down from the post to lead the party through the elections. He has positioned himself as the defender of 'essential' public services, such as health and education, that have been subject to cuts in regions governed by the centre-right.
