Zapatero Wakes Up

Opposition politicians expecting to be able to rake President Zapatero across the coals as he pronounced over the economy in congress this morning were broadsided by his announcement that...

1). Public service salaries will be reduced 5% as of June and frozen in 2011;
2). 2011 pensions will be frozen;
3). The birth subsidy of 2,500 euros will be suppressed in 2011;
4). That regional development subsidies will be eliminated;
5). etcetera.

Aside from the obvious point that the Zapatero has finally given up on his belief that effective crisis agreements can be reached with sectoral representatives, it is interesting to watch the impressively incompetent opposition leader Mariano Rajoy as he attempts to claim that these measures are erroneous because they were not initiated sooner.

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