The Spanish election

Mañana belongs to Mariano

The new prime minister has to act fast—and urgently needs outside support

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Readers' comments



P. Sanz

"...if they hold back for too long, the markets will strike first.", actualy the markets have already struck.

We are selling our 10 years debt at around 7% but even worse, 3 months and 6 months are over 5%, and what we know about the plans of this government to take us out of the hole? nothing.

I was happy to see PP having a landslide victory, and I think the speech Mr Rajoy gave after the results were public was his best speech and something Spain needed, but this country cannot afford to wait for a month without knowing even who is going to be the next finance minister.

This country needs reform, not only cuts in spending, there is lots of red tape that must be removed, and a radical and effective labor reform that must be put in place. All these must be done right now we cannot wait any longer, if they think the reforms can wait until Andalusia has had their elections (in fear they could lose them) they are wrong and Spain will suffer the consequences.


There is only one party which couold seriously change Spain out of traditional divisions among left and right or central and peripheral: That's UPyD. We cannnot expect nothing from the old traditional parties. We need sometihing more and something new. The traditional parties are arguing about the furniture of an old house whereas what we need is to buy a new one.

Iluso in reply to Juan Deler

UPyD, as PP and PSOE, is just a bunch of wealthy and powerful bunch of "far center" politicians willing to get more power and wealth for themselves and for the people who support them. Trying to decieve citicens by telling them they offer something new and they are the "change", just same Obama, Zapatero and Sarkozy did in the past just before ravaging the European finances. How can European people be so stupid. Have we learned anything from Latin America, Iceland or Asia?


Entrepeneurs in Spain are thin on the ground. The few brave souls willing to start new businesses need all the help they can get. Bank loans are hard to get, and there is not much the Government can do about it. But at least there is something it can do: get out of the way and eliminate much of the useless red tape smothering new businesses.


Next spring this situation will change and Spain soon will start to grow up again.We need some help but Mr Rajoy has the courage to cope with all this turbulences


I remember some time ago when The Economist wrote enthusiastically about Mr Rodríguez Zapatero (and Ms Chacón), when many people in Spain already saw them as the empty, incompetent and populist politicians that they turned out to be in the end. At least this time The Economist is being more cautious about Mr Rajoy. They talk about the sphinx-like mum leader. Is he mum out of cunning ? Or is he an example of that old saying: better stay mum so that everybody suspects you are an idiot than to talk and dispel any doubt ?. I will offer some clue. Nine years ago Mr Rajoy, as a minister in the cabinet of Mr Aznar, played around with a leaking oil tanker until the tanker sank. Then he talked about "small streaks of clay" leaking out of the tanker. Those "streaks of clay" turned out to be the worst ecological disaster in his native Galicia. Que Dios nos coja confesados!


Mr. Rajoy seems to be a beacon of hope for the success of reform measures in the floundering European Union. Where other leaders resent Merkel’s authoritative strength he seems to recognize she is the one calling the shots and it’s in his nations best interest to comply with her demands ad keep his own ego in check. If he is able to successfully lead by example perhaps Germany will be able to revive the once promising union.


Why the Economist keeps talking wonders (or at least positively) about ZP?

The coment about Fitch...Rajoy as a mum sphynx...and the worst of all...the title of this piece..."Mañana belongs to Mariano"...which brings the image of the youn Nazi singin "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" in so lame...

However everybody and their dogs know what is coming to Spain...the elefant is already in the room but we do not talk openly about it...reforms, cuts on expenses, more taxes (although I am not quite sure abouth this) strife thanks to our unions and Mr. Rubalcaba's efforts to stirr the pot bad enough...

However I do firmly believe that a quiet and relentless worker like Rajoy is the perfect politician to pull Spain out of this hole...

Juan Deler in reply to P. Sanz

It looks like, except some like centrist UPyD, no one have "...." to make deep changes openly. All around the world, spanish and european policians stink, always searching for their own benefit. Neither PSOE nor PP, or Merkel or Sarkozy, will do anything but keep blind their voters, hidind and disguising with circus tricks, that THEY are the real problem of Spain and Europe. They what to rule, and as it's said in Sapin: "stay still, or you won't appear in the photo". ¿Is this system what europeans deserve, and our grandfathers fought for, in 2 War Worlds and 1 civil war? So sad.
J. Deler.


He is an accidental president. He tried to get the Spain goverment twice and he failed. In his third attempt, he has gotten it but not for his charism or his politic program. He his the new president because the old one has governed in a wrong way.

We have a problem with him, he needn't the support of the other political groups and we all know about his future plans: to decrease the workers rights and so to increment the big companies profits.

Aside from it, Spain has a inner big problem. There are too many politics and too few control about the money that they receive. Starting for the smallest village and finishing in the capital, nobody knows (or nobody wants to know) what's happen with the billions of euros (taxes) that they received from the people.


First they were robbed by Germany (Euro), them by USA (Markets) now they shall continue to be robbed for decades to come by whom?All of the above and a few others!!


Spain could do very well as they did in the past.
So I am rather sure that nothing will change at all in Spain because there is not any need for it.
If they need money they can ask the EU and the ECB.
So why should they change anything?

So spanish politics looks quite clever and intelligent:)


It's great that Spain has a new leader and new opportunity for change, but it's not a great time to be committed to the Euro. It's also not a great time to be begging for Mrs. Merkel's pittance; Germany has enough on their plate supporting the entire EU at this point. If I was Spain I'd be heading straight to the throne of Vladmir Putin...



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