Winning on third attempt

As expected, the conservative People’s Party won a convincing victory in early parliamentary elections in Spain, held on November 21. Moreover, gaining almost 45 percent of the vote, the party led by Mariano Rajoy Brey, won an absolute majority and, thus, removed from power the Socialist Party, which had ruled the country since 2004. Center-right party in the Congress of Deputies will get 186 seats of 350. This was the greatest victory of right-wing party since the end of General Francisco Franco dictatorship in 1975. The People’s Party hasn’t had such a huge success since its inception in the 1980s. On the other hand, the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (SSWP) gained support of less than 29 percent of voters, which provide it with 110 seats in parliament. For this party it’s the worst result in the last three decades.

The reasons for the Socialists’ defeat in elections lie in government’s unability to cope with the economic crisis and unemployment, which now is at rate of 21.5 percent. There are nearly five million unemployed in this country, while the interest rate on state credits has reached the critical number of seven percent. Thus, after Ireland, Portugal, Greece, and Italy, Spain became the fifth European country where government has been changed through elections or resignation.

To his credit, the candidate from conservative People’s Party Mariano Rajoy is not very charismatic, but this politician has shown great tenacity in the campaign and demonstrated convincing peace in the midst of the economic storm.

A 56-year-old veteran of the Spanish politics was able to unite People’s Party to, finally, ensure its victory on the third try. It was a kind of revenge for the defeat of 2004. At that time Mariano Rajoy, chosen by Jose Maria Aznar as a successor for the position of prime minister, unexpectedly lost to little-known Socialist Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Rajoy, who did not put up with that defeat, was twice humiliated after he suffered another defeat of the elections in 2008, when Zapatero became prime minister again.

Rajoy became the head of opposition and relentlessly criticized the government of socialists, especially if things had to do with ETA. The People’s Party leader rejected the negotiations with Basque separatists that were initiated by the government in 2006.

“We firmly declare that you can not negotiate with terrorists and pay a high political price,” said Rajoy then. “We also believe that the oldest European country of 44 million people, the eighth largest country in the world will not be defeated by a gang of criminals.”

However, since the time when People’s Party won local elections, Rajoy, anticipating a quick victory in parliamentary elections, somewhat softened his uncompromising conservative image. “In all bodies, management of which will be assigned to its responsibility, and, if Spanish people will have such desire, in National Government the People’s Party will work for the benefit of all,” claimed Rajoy.

During the election campaign the leader of conservatives appeared with a message called to maximize the number of his supporters: “Our enemies are the economic crisis and unemployment. We will face them and I promise to be brave as the government’s leader. Courage and caution are perfectly compatible concepts.” Demonstrating state approach, Rajoy agreed with Socialists to make changes to the constitution, limiting the size of budget deficit, and also welcomed the statement by ETA about the end of violence.

“For the first time in 40 years ETA has declared that it finally renounces criminal activity and it was good. The only way is the law and law-based state. This may not be the subject of any negotiations,” said Rajoy.

Rajoy, repeatedly assigned to the post of minister, husband and father of two sons, reached the peak of his political career 30 years after its beginning.

During the election campaign Rajoy promised to take drastic austerity measures to reassure investors. The absolute majority in the lower house of parliament provides him freedom of action to implement his policies.

Delivering his speech to his exultant supporters, who gathered that evening in front of the headquarters of the People’s Party, the former interior minister warned that Spain can not perform a miracle and emerge from the crisis. He also said that the country must regain respect in the European arena.

“I am asking you all to continue helping me. Hard times lie ahead. Voice of Spain should be respected again in Brussels and Frankfurt. We will cease to be a part of the problem and will become a part of the solution,” he said.

According to analysts, the new government will have to take emergency measures in order to convince the markets in Spain’s ability to pay off its debts.

Conservatives understand this well. Miguel Arias, coordinator of the People’s Party election campaign acknowledged that “Spain will have to go for great sacrifices.” “We lived in a very rich country,” said Aria in his interview with BBC. “People got accustomed to the high level of public services, so it will take time for them to understand that we are poorer, that we have a lot of debts, and, in order to pay them off, we need to reduce social expenditures to regain the trust of markets.”

It is noteworthy that, unlike the Greeks, whose demonstrations against austerity measures have caused a political crisis, the Spanish people seem ready to agree to budget cuts in health care and education. In other words, Spanish people entrusted the Conservatives to implement the policy of austerity, seeing that there is no other way out of the crisis.