PM Zapatero and his Socialist party won Spanish parliamentary elections

Spanish PM Jose Luis Zapatero and the Socialist party he runs obtained a clear victory in the legislative elections in Spain this Sunday. According to official results, after counting some 99.95% of the ballots, Socialists got 43.64% of the votes, translated into 169 Deputy seats of a total of 350.

Zapatero will thus receive a mandate to form a new government.

Closely following the Socialists, the Popular Party of Mariano Rajoy obtained 40.12% and 153 mandates, five more than in 2004. Some 75% of the Spanish population turned out to vote in the general elections.

Spanish newspapers read about Zapatero’s new chance to lead the government and analyze in detail the significance of this victory for the future of the country.