Change of Power in Spain Widens Divisions in Society

The gaining of absolute majority by the conservative People’s Party does not bode well for the people in Spain’s efforts to cope with the crisis. The causers of the crisis are spared from contributing to debt reduction whereas the burdens are further shifted onto the shoulders of the workers. The jobless rate in Spain figures around 20 per cent – by far the highest among EU states. I presume that a conservative government will rather aggravate than solve this situation.

We congratulate the United Left (Izquierda Unida) on its election result. The multiplication of its seats in parliament and the stable result of the Catalan United and Alternative Left testify to the grown recognition of the left in Spain. This is all the more significant as Spanish electoral law favours big national and regional parties while massively disadvantaging small national parties.