Monday, May 23, 2011

SPANISH SPRING-Spain socialists suffer crushing defeat by conservatives. Economy lauded by Obama destroys nation, socialist pols kicked out

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Spanish protests call for all of Europe to rise up

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Mass protests in Madrid, 5/22/11, AP
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Spain voters say both political parties are fat cats unconcerned about the people. Spain's solar scam case in point.

5/22/11, "Spain's Socialists Trounced Amid Economic Turmoil," AP, CNBC

"Spain's ruling Socialists suffered a crushing defeat to conservatives in local and regional elections Sunday, yielding power even in traditional strongholds against a backdrop of staggering unemployment and unprecedented sit-ins by Spaniards furious with what they see as politicians who don't care about their plight.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said the result was due punishment of his government for the state of the economy — the jobless rate is a eurozone high of 21.3 percent. But he said he had no plans to move up general elections, which must be held by March of next year, and pledged to press on with job-creating reforms despite the loud outcry of opposition to his party.

The win for the conservative opposition Popular Party puts it in even a stronger position to win the general elections and return to power

  • after eight years of Socialist rule.
In what Spanish media said was the worst performance on record by the Socialist Party in local and regional elections, the numbers reflecting the loss were stunning: the conservative Popular Party won at the municipal level by about two million votes, compared to 150,000 in its win in 2007, and in 13 regional governments that were up for grabs, Zapatero's party lost in virtually all of them.

One was Castilla-La Mancha in central Spain, where the Socialists have always held power. The Socialists also lost bastions like the town halls in Barcelona and Seville. The conservatives padded their majorities in Madrid and Valencia, in the latter even though the president is under investigation for corruption. Several other Socialist-controlled regional governments also fell. Spain's electoral map turned largely blue — the color of the Popular Party....
  • The Socialists had widely been expected to do poorly Sunday. ...

As results were tallied and afterward, merry crowds gathered outside Popular Party headquarters in Madrid, while virtually no one was outside the Socialist headquarters.

The election came against a backdrop of widespread discontent.

Protest camps of mainly young people sprang up in cities around the country a week ago and stayed put, swelling to tens of thousands of demonstrators in the evenings. On Saturday they defied a government ban on gatherings the day before an election. The growing protest movement reflects the strong disillusionment felt by Spaniards toward a political system they say favors economic interests and political fat cats in both major parties on the right and left

  • over ordinary people.

The government did not disperse the demonstrators, including the largest group camped out in Madrid's central Puerta del Sol square opposite city hall. Protesters on Sunday voted to stay in that square until at least May 29.

"Our zeal to press on is at maximum level," said a spokesman, Francisco Minarro, 32,"...

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10/18/10, "Spain's Solar Deals on Edge of Bankruptcy as Subsidies Founder," Bloomberg News, Ben Sills

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4/13/11, "Spanish Wind, Revisited," MasterResource, Robert Peltier

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4/3/11, "Spanish Premier won't run again," Marketwatch

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1/16/09, "Obama Visits Ohio Factory to Boost Clean Energy Economy," ENS

Obama praises Spain among those ahead of US in government sponsored 'renewable energy' industries. (para. 7)

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10/13/09, "Obama-Zapatero meeting puts and end to years of strained relations," AP

"In Prague this spring, Obama praised Zapatero saying, "I am glad to call him a friend and I welcome our opportunity to cooperate on a whole host of issues in the years to come."

Policy-wise they both are firm supporters of promoting renewable energies and fomenting dialogue with the Muslim world."...

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11/12/10, "Spain’s Zapatero Seeks More U.S. Money for His ‘Green’ Firms — Will We Fall for It Again?" Christopher Horner, Pajamas Media




via Lucianne.com

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