but not very serious ones
*Partido Socialista Obrero Espa�ol = PSOE is one of the oldest parties in Spain, se fund� clandestinamente en Madrid, el 2 de mayo de 1879*
El presidente del Gobierno, Jos� Luis Rodr�guez Zapatero has lost approval rating slowly since he took office last April, but the silver lining is that he still has more than 57% approval and that's just down 4.9% since June.
Why the increasing disapproval? It's natural progression for any sitting president provided he doesn't enter a war. When you are just minding the business of state and not much going on in the eyes of the public, you fall in their minds. Zapatero needs to maintain the impression that he is a strong and decisive leader like he was perceived when he told the Coalition of the Silly that Espa�a wouldn't take part in this illegal campaign any longer without a UN approval.
Still the PSOE is strengthening its support in general at the expense of the PP.
Socialist Worker�s Party (PSOE) -- 42.1%
Popular Party (PP) -- 36.1%
Recently there have been a few setbacks for the PSOE as well. The president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez was recently in an official visit in Spain to increase the relations of Latin America and Espa�a. It goes without saying that the PSOE are generally pleased with Chavez, he is a social-democrat like Zapatero and has shown that he's not afraid to give the USA the finger when necessary. Like Zapatero.
However, the foreign minister Miguel �ngel Moratinos let it slip out in a conference that the PP government under Aznar had supported and aided the attempted coup against Chavez. This accusation has caused quite a stir in the ranks and files of the PP and their supporters and since the PSOE doesn't hold a majority the PP is threatening to block their every action unless Moratinos withdraws his claim and apologizes.
Naturally the re-election of the Chimp-in-Chief hasn't been positive for Zapatero and his government. It was no secret he had hoped (along with half of US Americans) and most of the world that Shrubbo would go back to where ever he came from and John Kerry would reclaim what shred of sanity there was left in the White House. No such luck for El Presidente.
Zapatero was one of the first leaders to send Bush a message of congratulations of the election victory. In his telegram he wrote, �I and my government have a firm intention of collaborating with you and your administration with the aim of intensifying relations of friendship and cooperation.� - but it took the administration more than 2 weeks to reply, and just to make it absolutely clear that this is more personal than business Bush he invited Aznar, the former president (now retired from politics and as such a nobody) as his first foreign visitor for a 40-minute private meeting in the White House.
This is quite understandable, knowing how Bush's mind works but the ironic thing is that this kind of attitude is very positive for Zapatero. The people of Spain feel, quite rightly, that the US president is snubbing their president for no apparent reason and sucking up to the ex-president that Spaniards were quite angry at - so angry the PSOE received more votes than any party ever has in the history of Spain.
Zapatero has made his priorities quite clear. First priority is Europe and the EU, second is Latin America and the Mediterranian and lastly everything else - including the USA. The future lies in Europe for Spain and important that the Spanish president isn't ranting about America�s role as a global �superpower.� (Like Aznar did so frequently)
The sooner Spain relieves itself of all directly controlled US subsidies and/or promises of such - like the hope that the US would move their Sixth Fleet headquarters from Italy to its naval base at Rota. That would have been a favor to Spain, for it had supported the state-owned shipyards Izar. Thousands of jobs are now at stake there since the fleet HQ probably won't be moved to Spain, but even as it is a short time loss it is an incredibly powerful long time gain to minimize US influence. It is amusing to see how simple and dumb the Bush doctrine is in foreign relations. The smartest thing would of course to be investing and essentially entangling Spain with US government controlled money so that the next time they vote PSOE or their ilk into power the US will have them by the balls beforehand. That's pre-emptive Shrubbie.
The PSOE government is trying to make peace with the current White House hawks but they are most certainly not changing the order of their priorities. That is evident in the recent Chavez visit and the dialogue between Spain, France, Germany - hoping to make Spain a permanent part of the core of the Union. Meeting German Chancellor Gerhard Schr�der in what they described as an �impeccable atmosphere of collaboration,� the two leaders agreed further cooperation on law and order and defence issues and reaffirmed their joint approach in international affairs. Der Spiegel magazine quoted Zapatero as saying Germany must become again the �powerhouse� of a Europe that �must believe that it will become the world�s leading economic and political power within the next 20 years.�
He insisted it is Washington�s responsibility to change its attitude to its European allies saying, �We demand honesty and respect of our principles and ideals.�
It so happens everyone else in Europe agrees with him. Except maybe Tony Blair but hey. Tony isn't even sure if he is in Europe or not.
It looks like the PSOE if here to stay for a good while to come. Watch out for Zapatero - he's not a dumb shoemaker. He's a leader.
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