SPAIN:JOSÉ LUIS Rodríguez Zapatero was yesterday re-elected for a second term as Spanish prime minister. He will be sworn in by King Juan Carlos this morning, and will announce the names of his cabinet ministers immediately afterwards.
In a country notorious for political leaks, he has managed to keep their names secret with only three senior members of the outgoing government known to be holding on to their portfolios. The new legislature will be formally inaugurated by the king next Wednesday with the state opening of parliament.
Mr Zapatero is only the second prime minister in modern Spanish history to be forced into a second-round vote. He won 169 seats in the general election last month, just eight less than an absolute majority, and chose not to have his hands tied by signing pacts with smaller parties. So, in the first ballot on Tuesday night, he won only the support of his own party, with 158 deputies voting against him, and 23 abstaining.
Under Spanish parliamentary rules a candidate requires an absolute majority - in this case 176 votes - on the first ballot, but only needs a simple majority on the second.
The voting came at the end of a four-day investiture debate when Mr Zapatero laid down his programme for the new legislature and answered criticism from opposition parties. Unlike the outgoing parliament which was often angry and tension-ridden, the tone of the debate was more measured and better tempered.
Although the differences still remain, the parties showed a willingness to collaborate and work together on major issues such as the economy, terrorism, education, gender violence and immigration.
Mr Zapatero has called for an all-party pact to fight terrorism.
"We will work with all parties and with international co-operation to bring an end to Eta which can only have one solution: that they definitively and unconditionally renounce violence."
He held out a conciliatory hand to the opposition for his four-year term and expressed his wish that the new legislature will be smoother than the one which ended last month.
"A democratic and pluralistic Spain can only be achieved through dialogue," he said.
Mariano Rajoy, leader of the conservative Popular Party, was prepared to accept the offer of consensus and dialogue.
"Although we do not share many points in the Socialist programme, we will not close the door on co-operating with them on terrorism, unemployment and the economy," he said.
Mr Rajoy was one of the first to congratulate Mr Zapatero on his victory when he crossed the floor of the house to shake his hand.
Mr Zapatero recognised that his government is facing a major economic crisis caused in part by the international financial situation and also by the collapse of Spain's once booming property and construction market.
To combat these problems he promised a series of measures, including a reduction in company taxes, increased investment in public works and financial help for restoration and rehabilitation of older buildings to stimulate the building trade.
Inflation is another hurdle the new government must face. The latest figures show it increased last month by 0.9 per cent to 4.5 percent, double the level of 2.2 per cent when the Socialists came to power four years ago.
"We are now facing inflation figures not seen since 1995," said Miguel Arias, the opposition spokesman for economic affairs.