As the crisis in the Eurozone rumbles on, and Italy teeters on the brink of economic disaster, threatening to pull Spain with it, you would expect the issue of Europe andSpain’s relationship with the EU to be at the centre of the main parties’ electoral campaigns.
Socialist candidate Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba has sketched out how he believes the Government should deal with its EU partners. Continuing the quasi-aggressive theme of his campaign (his electoral slogan is “Fight for what you want!”), he said he would “go to Brussels to fight and convince, and not to receive orders… I want to defend the interests of the country inBrussels– Rajoy has never done it and never will.”
Listening to Rubalacaba you would think his party belonged to one of the European Parliament’s political groups fighting for a looser union and a return of powers to Member States.
Rather the PSOE in the European Parliament recently voted to maintain first class travel for all MEPs despite the economic crisis, and one of their Members was caught signing in to claim her daily allowance and then heading straight to the airport to return to Spain. Well, at least his MEPs have listened to his slogan – they are clearly fighting for what they want.
Politics of Spain 