March 9th, 2008
With 96% of results in, the Spanish Socialist Worker’s party had won 43.7% of the vote, giving it 169 seats in the lower house, an increase of five on 2004, but short of the 176 needed for an absolute majority. The People’s party won 40.1%, which translates to 154 seats, up six on 2004. See map of the results here.
Speaking to ecstatic supporters at the socialist party’s headquarters in central
The Spanish Socialists proposed in their manifesto
In the next four years, Zapatero plans to extend his social reforms, pledging to create 2m jobs, to increase the minimum wage and maternity leave and to spend heavily on a high-speed train network. The socialists want to introduce stronger anti-discrimination legislation, and promise a string of green laws, including spending €9bn on renovating houses to reduce their emissions.
Samuel Tarry, Chair of Compass Youth congratulated the Spanish Socialist Workers Party: “Internationalism is the cornerstone of democratic socialism; in the globalised world social democrats should welcome this victory for progressive politics. To build a new social Europe that will withstand the ravages of accelerated capitalism each victory for social democrats strengthens our cause and our resolve. Social Democracy has been under threat across Europe and is still mortally wounded in the UK with the continuing drive to introduce marketisation into the public sector instead of recognising the public value that public services bring to the social fabric of society coupled with the myth that innovation only comes from the private sector. We need to find European and global social democratic solutions to the problems facing the world, the victory of the Spanish Socialists shows that there is a viable alternative to the neo-liberal consensus, one that we are proud to have supported by sending young activists to campaign for. I wish Zapatero and all of our Spanish comrades all the best with the programme of progressive reforms and the progressive ‘new era’ they hope to usher in.”
