SPANISH SOCIALIST prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero yesterday faced his first serious electoral test since the global economic crisis began as almost 10 per cent of the electorate voted in regional elections.
With recession biting hard and Spain holding the European record for unemployment at 14 per cent, there was speculation that many socialist supporters would stay at home.
Voters in the Basque country and in Galicia may deliver major changes to their powerful regional governments.
In the northern Basque country, election day was greeted by molotov cocktail attacks on a court house and several banks in the town of Amorebieta. The attacks, which caused only minor damage, were a reminder of the terrorism still practised by Eta.
Parties deemed to support Eta have been banned for these elections, leaving radical separatists complaining they have been disenfranchised. Eta issued a statement on Friday claiming the elections were “anti-democratic”.
There was speculation as to what the 10-15 per cent of Basques who usually support those parties would do with their votes, with some expected to vote for moderate separatists and others planning to spoil their ballot papers.
Pre-election opinion polls show the moderate Basque Nationalists, who have controlled the regional government since it was founded 29 years ago, may lose power.
The socialists, boosted by Mr Zapatero’s conciliatory attitude to regional nationalist parties, may be in a position to lead.
In Galicia the socialists govern in coalition with moderate nationalists but polls show they may lose power to the conservative People’s Party. – (Guardian service)