I’m enjoying watching these results!!! Viva Espana!!! :bravo: :bravo: :bravo: It’s going to be interesting to watch the “Shock and Awe” in the coming weeks.
The Socialists’ 110 seats in parliament is their worst result since democracy was restored to Spain at elections in 1977. :bravo: :bravo: :bravo: :bravo: :bravo: :bravo: :bravo: :bravo:
The Seattle Post Intelligencer and the NZ Herald really cover Spanish politics like no other.
Well, considering the hodgepodge of languages/cultures/regions that make up Spain, it’s often easier to look at the international coverage than the biased regional viewpoints wouldn’t you say? Although, in this election, even traditional left wing cities in Catalonia such as Barcelona and strongholds of the PSE such as Seville went PP.
Conservatives love to destroy economies. Look for darker economic days on the horizon.
I’m not sure how much worse the Spanish economy could get. This looks like one of those elections that with hindsight it’s better not to win, a bit like the last one in the UK.
To be fair to the outgoing administration public debt was quite restrained ( by European standards 
). The disaster resulted from personal and business debt, plus ridiculous wage inflation. I guess that with hindsight more govt, intervention was required 
I think you’re being unfair. Unemployment of 21.5% sounds great! Every country should elect a socialist government so they too can partake of such marvellous unemployment figures.
Socialism is a wonderful theory. It’s just a tragedy that anyone ever tried it in practice.
LOL it’s not even a theory. It’s a fiction. It’s better compared to Superman’s ability to fly. And, like superman’s ability to fly it is a tragedy when someone tries to put it into practice.
Wow! Someone really drank the Kool-Aid? Where did it all go wrong? What on earth?
Countries around the world are wracking up debt at a phenomenol pace. Taiwan has a low public debt but has been adding it at a record pace over the last few years.
Spain has a huge problem with it’s banks due to non-performing property loans. The banks hold the property on their books and cannot sell at a market price because if they do it then devalues their total holdings and makes them insolvent (as the real assets/securities to loans ration would quickly become apparent). The regional governments in Spain are also carrying huge debts.
You have to look at each country on a case by case basis and make a judgement on the totality of debt between public and private.
China’s local governments are also carrying massive bad debts but it’s central bank supposedly has reserves of 4 trillion USD, however this money cannot really be spent in China.
The issue is not so much socialism or capitalism (and what are the real differences can somebody explain if we look at Italy or China or the US…perhaps they are just easy monikers) but bad choices.
Looks like it will happen again!!! Will enjoy watching this election.
Spain’s right on verge of majority in general election, polls find | Reuters
Some of the policy proposals on the right are quite libertarian. A flat tax of 15% for income up to 70k€ and 25% for higher earners. And the abolishment of inheritance taxes or the dreaded wealth tax.
Viva Cristo Rey!!!
(73) Viva Cristo Rey - YouTube
Exit polls are giving PP/Vox 180 or so combined vs 150 for the combined left.
First hard right government since Franco.
That doesn’t strike me as an encouraging comparison, and in any case the PP seems to be centre-right (and some commentators describe them as such).
IMO there’s little practical difference between people on the “hard left” and the “hard right”, except possibly in clothing style. They’re both pretty easy to spot, and PP don’t really fit the bill.
Ooops- looks like the leftists and regional parties have one more seat than the right-wing parties, with the balance belonging to the Catalan parties, whom nobody wants to deal with because of their separatist tendencies, like the Bloc Quebec in Canada (but who absolutely hate the rightists).
So, no Falangist front, or as they used to say on SNL, “In other news, Franco still dead”.
If that’s the case, even with PP having the most seats along with Vox, and the socialists end up doing a deal with Catalan separatists to do a referendum, it could lead to the socialists being out of power for a generation if it leads to the breakup of Spain. Am hoping the King realizes this and gives the PP/Vox first crack at getting over the line.
You know you’re in an interesting political era when people are rooting for a king’s intervention to cement a right leaning power bloc in a democratic country…
The left-wing coalition had 171 seats to the right’s 170, but alas!- late returns from abroad gave the two groups 171 each- spoiling the left’s dream of achieving power by just letting the Catalan separatists boycott the vote. Now they would have to give into some of the separatist’s demands, which they have vowed not to do.
Probable outcome- lengthy stalemate, followed by new elections, with God knows what outcome.