Democratic Spain (since 1976) Part III

By | September 3, 2021

The workers, on strike because of subsidy cuts, had occupied roads and railroad tracks. Several people were injured. On July 11, 2012, there was a »black march« on Madrid: around 200 miners from northern Spain and 25,000 sympathizers marched towards the Ministry of Industry. Severe riots resulted in 70 injuries and several arrests. Another 24-hour general strike took place on  November 14, 2012, which almost completely paralyzed public life. The automotive, shipbuilding, construction and energy industries were hardest hit. Despite all the protests, the Spanish government stuck to its reforms. In 2012 there were violent clashes between miners and police in the province of Asturias. The workers, on strike because of subsidy cuts, had occupied roads and railroad tracks. Several people were injured. On July 11, 2012, there was a »black march« on Madrid: around 200 miners from northern Spain and 25,000 sympathizers marched towards the Ministry of Industry. Severe riots resulted in 70 injuries and several arrests. On November 14, 2012, another 24-hour general strike took place, which almost completely paralyzed public life. The automotive, shipbuilding, construction and energy industries were hardest hit. Despite all the protests, the Spanish government stuck to its reforms.

In mid-February 2013, following a referendum against the eviction of apartments, parliament passed a legislative initiative to protect citizens. In the course of the real estate crisis, tens of thousands of people had already lost their homes because they could not service loans. In November 2013, parliament passed a controversial education reform. Tens of thousands took to the streets against the billions in cuts at universities and schools. In 2013, in connection with black money accounts, the opposition demanded resignation from Prime Minister Rajoy. Meanwhile, an economic recovery began. On June 6, 2014, Prime Minister Rajoy sharedwith the fact that Spain will start repaying EU loans early at a rate of € 1.3 billion. He also announced an economic stimulus program worth € 6.3 billion. In the European elections on May 25, 2014, according to thereligionfaqs, Spain only had a low turnout of 45.9%. The ruling party PP (26.1%) and the PSOE (23%) suffered major losses. The Podemos party, which was founded at the beginning of the year and emerged from the protest movement, won 8% of the votes straight away. PSOE party leader A. Pérez Rubalcaba resigned after the election. His successor was P. Sánchez in a primary election on July 12, 2014chosen. In the wake of the corruption scandal involving the ruling party PP, the investigating judge came to the conclusion in November 2014 that charges should be brought against at least 43 suspects. As early as 2009 it became known that politicians and party officials had accepted bribes from companies that had secured public contracts in this way.

The reputation of the royal family has increased in recent years, inter alia. damaged by corruption allegations against Infanta Cristina’s husband (* 1965). Also, Juan Carlos I even lost its former popularity. In 2012, against the background of the severe social and economic crisis in Spain, the public outraged the king’s participation in an elephant hunt in Botswana. In 2014, the monarch, who was also in poor health, abdicated in favor of his son Felipe . He climbed on June 19, 2014 as Felipe VI. the Spanish throne.

In the parliamentary elections on December 20, 2015, the parties PP and PSOE, which had dominated for decades, suffered heavy losses. The PP, burdened by the corruption scandal, only won 28.7% of the votes and 123 of 350 parliamentary seats (2011: 44.6% and 186 seats) in the House of Representatives. The PSOE received 22% of the vote and 90 seats (2011: 28.8% of the vote and 110 seats). The left-wing Podemos party and the liberal Ciudadanos party moved into the parliament for the first time with 20.7% of the vote and 69 MPs and 13.9% of the votes and 40 MPs, respectively. After the deadline for forming a government had expired on May 2nd, 2016 without result, the King dissolved parliament on May 3rd, 2016 and called new elections for June 26th, 2016. Led by M. Rajoy the PP emerged stronger from these elections with around 33% of the votes and 137 seats in the House of Representatives. The PSOE remained the second strongest force with around 22.7% of the vote, but lost 5 of 90 seats. The left electoral alliance “Unidos Podemos” (German “Together we can do it”) around Podemos, Izquierda Unida and Equo, which had set itself the goal of surpassing the PSOE, received around 21.1% of the votes and 71 seats. The Ciudadanos party suffered losses, gaining 13.1% of the vote and 32 seats. Negotiations about the formation of a government turned out to be difficult again. M. Rajoy failed in August and September 2016, since December 2015 only executive prime minister, with the attempt in parliament to be re-elected as head of government. After an internal party dispute over a possible coalition of the PSOE with the PP or the tolerance of a minority government led by Rajoy, PSOE leader P. Sánchez , who refused to cooperate with the PP, lost the support of the party leadership and resigned on October 1, 2016. On October 29, 2016, Parliament finally voted in Rajoy with 170 votes in favor. 111 MPs voted against him, 68 abstained, including most of the PSOE MPs, who thus Rajoy helped to the office of head of government. After being sworn in on October 31, 2016, he presented the PP minority cabinet he had formed at the beginning of November 2016. On May 21, 2017, Father Sánchez was re-elected PSOE boss by a majority of party members.

Democratic Spain (since 1976) 3