Spain's new socialist leader and the Madrid bombings
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is set to become Spain's new prime minister after leading his party to an unexpected victory.
The grandson of a Republican army officer shot during the civil war, Mr Rodriguez Zapatero joined the Socialist Party (PSOE) as a teenager in 1979.
He rose through the ranks fast, and became Spain's youngest MP in 1986.
His party was then in power, and united behind the charismatic Felipe Gonzalez. But by the time Mr Zapatero became PSOE leader in 2000, it was in disarray and divided.
The conservative Popular Party (PP) had just won re-election, and the socialists were still tainted by the corruption scandals and sky-high unemployment that had characterised Spain under their rule.
The right stuff?
The 43-year-old leader is widely seen as affable and sophisticated - but some had questioned his ability to change the party's fortunes.
....But following the devastating Madrid train bombings that killed at least 200 - and a videotape in which al-Qaeda allegedly said it carried out the attacks - Spanish voters turned against the Popular Party that had led the country into an unpopular war.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3497808.stm
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Spain's Socialist Party prime minister-elect says he will pull troops out of Iraq
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3512144.stm
"The war in Iraq was a disaster, the occupation of Iraq is a disaster." -Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
Terror in Madrid
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/03/13/spain.blasts/
200 Dead. 1,500 wounded
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is set to become Spain's new prime minister after leading his party to an unexpected victory.
The grandson of a Republican army officer shot during the civil war, Mr Rodriguez Zapatero joined the Socialist Party (PSOE) as a teenager in 1979.
He rose through the ranks fast, and became Spain's youngest MP in 1986.
His party was then in power, and united behind the charismatic Felipe Gonzalez. But by the time Mr Zapatero became PSOE leader in 2000, it was in disarray and divided.
The conservative Popular Party (PP) had just won re-election, and the socialists were still tainted by the corruption scandals and sky-high unemployment that had characterised Spain under their rule.
The right stuff?
The 43-year-old leader is widely seen as affable and sophisticated - but some had questioned his ability to change the party's fortunes.
....But following the devastating Madrid train bombings that killed at least 200 - and a videotape in which al-Qaeda allegedly said it carried out the attacks - Spanish voters turned against the Popular Party that had led the country into an unpopular war.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3497808.stm
___________________________________
Spain's Socialist Party prime minister-elect says he will pull troops out of Iraq
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3512144.stm
"The war in Iraq was a disaster, the occupation of Iraq is a disaster." -Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
Terror in Madrid
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/03/13/spain.blasts/
200 Dead. 1,500 wounded
