The Changing Face of Spanish Society in 2008

The Changing Face of Spanish Society in 2008.

Last 9th of March Spanish voters decided to keep the socialists in the government headed by Mr Zapatero for another term. Spanish society has experienced changes which prove that Spaniards in the XXI century are willing to agree with more democratic compromise, compete in a global economy and extend the level of rights for individuals. Part of the agenda of his right wing opponent, Mariano Rajoy, received enough sympathy but still the party once headed by Mr Aznar (Partido Popular or Popular Party) will not be able to form a government for the next 4 years ahead, remaining the main opposition force.

As it happens with most countries, the economy was one of the top issues to be discussed. The enthusiasm of an economic “boom” felt flat at the end of the last term for the PSOE (Socialist Party for Workers of Spain). The last macroeconomic figures pointed to a mild slow down in the  number of people in work and some inflation. But nevertheless the social programme of the PSOE has proven to be so popular among Spaniards, with welfare reforms for parents and young people obtaining independent living, that the electorate felt it was better to continue with them.

Certain minorities might have also given the socialists the extra push to win. Homosexuals and the disabled have gained extra rights with the present government which situates the Spanish current legislation as one of the most tolerant in the European Union.

Other thorny issues for Spain have been the way the Government has dealt with terrorist groups, most notably the Basque separatist group of ETA. Very tragically, ETA hit again, murdering another innocent victim, days before the election in the small Basque locality of Mondragon, in order to destabilize the election process. Spaniards, especially in the Basque region, have been enduring a wave of violence in recent decades due to this terrorist group which still remains strong. The bloodiest terrorist attack in Europe took place in Madrid in 2004 claiming 191 victims. After one of the longest and most complex court procedures that the Spanish courts have seen in recent history, it was proved that this massacre was perpetrated by radical Islamists and not by the Basque separatist group ETA, as the exiting government of Jose Maria Aznar initially claimed.    

Francisco Javier Fatou