EU PROFILE: SPAIN:WHEN SPAIN acceded to EU membership in 1986, its people were among the most enthusiastic of Europeans. The country has done well from its membership by investing in roads, railways and modern infrastructure. But now the gilt is wearing off; there are more eurosceptics and less interest in decisions made in Brussels or the men and women who are supposed to represent them in the European Parliament.
Strasbourg is a long way from the Cortes (parliament) in Madrid and Spanish political parties are less interested in European issues than in their approval rating at home.
Spaniards are traditionally enthusiastic voters with high turnouts in elections. But participation is gradually declining. Over 60 per cent voted in the first European elections. Four years ago fewer than 50 per cent bothered to choose their 54 MEPs, and on June 7th the figure could fall as low as 30 per cent.
Jaime Mayor Oreja, the leader of the conservative Popular Party’s (PP) European list, described the election as a vote of censure against José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s socialist government. If the opinion polls remain steady, PP will defeat the governing Socialist (PSOE) party by almost two percentage points.
Although the campaigning doesn’t officially get under way for almost two weeks, “pre-campaigning” has already begun across the country and, given Spain’s dire economic situation, the recession is featuring prominently.
Unemployment currently stands at 17 per cent, the highest in Europe, and there are predictions that it could reach 20 per cent before things improve.
Last weekend prime minister of more than 15,000 in the Vista Alegre bullring in Madrid. He accused the opposition of spreading a pessimistic message and promised things would improve.
He said: “Those writers and gossips who criticise the government refuse to accept any good news. But I tell you, we are going to see good news and positive results.”
The parties have spent the past months drawing up their lists of candidates for MEPs to fill the 50 seats allocated to Spain, four fewer than in 2004. In many cases these are a way of paying off past favours for veteran politicians to make way for younger models.
The PSOE list has been described as “a hospital for injured socialists”, those who have served the party loyally, if not always successfully. Top of the PSOE list is Juan Fernando López Aguilar, a former justice minister who lost his bid to head the Canary Island’s regional government last year.
He has accused the PP of waging a war against Mr Zapatero whether it is the country’s interests or not.
“The only thing the PP wants is to return to power in the Moncloa Palace . We socialists are looking for ways out of the economic crisis,” he said.
He is followed by Ramon Jauregui, a veteran socialist official and parliamentary deputy who served in the Felipe González governments in the 1980s. Mr Jauregui has admitted to friends that he is going to Strasbourg “without any great enthusiasm”.
Top of PP’s list is Jaime Mayor Oreja, an MEP since 2004 and a minister of the interior in the José María Aznar government. Mr Mayor Oreja remains close to the former prime minister highlighting the two competing factions within the conservative party. One side is allied to current party leader Mariano Rajoy, and the other – more conservative side – supports the “Aznarista” faction which has repeatedly tried to undermine and unseat Mr Rajoy.
One notable absentee from the PP’s list is Guillermo Galeote, a long-time MEP who has been named in a corruption scandal and accused of accepting €600,000 in bribes.
All the politicians will be paying great attention to European residents with 126 per cent more expat Europeans having a right to vote than five years ago.
The largest foreign community can be found in the Valencia and Alicante region. Both Mr Zapatero and Mr Rajoy will address expat meetings in the Alicante region.