16 April 2004

by Anai Rhoads

AnaiRhoads.org - Final approval was given to 43-year-old Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero Friday as he entered Spain as the country's new prime minister. Out of the 350 seats in the Spanish Congress of Deputies, 183 lawmakers were in favour of Zapatero's entry.

Zapatero joined the Socialist Party (PSOE) as a teenager in 1979 and by 1982 he directed a socialist youth organisation in his home province of León. In 1986, he became Spain's youngest MP. He was elected as secretary general of the PSOE during the party's 35th convention in 2000.

The Party won 164 seats in the election, 12 short of a majority, but on Friday Zapatero managed to gain 19 votes from regional parties.

Zapatero's first thoughts hovered over the situation in Iraq. The new prime minister is asking the United Nations to provide international assistance to Iraq, or risk complete removal of all Spanish troops from that country on the 30 June 2004 deadline.

As for his views on President Bush, Zapatero was quoted telling the International Herald Tribune, "Our alliance will be for peace, against war, no more deaths for oil, and for a dialogue between the government of Spain and the new Kerry administration." Zapatero considers the Bush administration to be "the most reactionary American administration in recent times."

©2004 AnaiRhoads.org Reproduction must be authorised in writing only, and altering the material and this copyright is prohibited and protected by international law.