November 14, 2011. Copyright 2011, Graphic News. All rights reserved

Spain's "nearly man" Mariano Rajoy likely to win polls
By Joanna Griffin

LONDON, November 14, Graphic News:  If, as expected, Mariano Rajoy is elected Spain's next prime minister, he will have been propelled into the top job by a set of circumstances that have left many Spaniards so angry that almost any opposition leader would do. 

Rajoy, leader of the right-wing Popular Party, has been this close to power before: as deputy prime minister in 2004 he had been virtually guaranteed of stepping into the shoes of Jose Maria Aznar until his government's perceived attempt to pin Al Qaeda's Madrid train bomb attacks on ETA made voters switch to Socialist Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero at the last minute.

This time, with Zapatero stepping down, it would take an event of similar magnitude to prevent Rajoy from defeating new Socialist candidate Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, whose party is blamed for the 22 percent unemployment rate (Europe's highest), crippling sovereign debt and political stagnation. The scale of Spanish dissatisfaction has been plain for the world to see, with youth protesters occupying town squares nationwide. It is little wonder the country is in the mood for a serious leader with a track record as a troubleshooter -- and Rajoy fits the bill.

Born in 1955 into a prominent political family in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Rajoy progressed through regional politics until he became Aznar's deputy as interior minister in 2001, and his handpicked successor in 2004. As deputy PM, he had the hard task of defending the government's handling of a catastrophic oil spill in his home region, and its unpopular decision to back the U.S.-led war in Iraq. He won points for his cool demeanour but lost them for his awkward manner and old-fashioned appearance.

Rajoy, who has also held the education and culture portfolios, lost the rematch against Zapatero in March 2008 elections and has not eased off the pressure since. The veteran politician with conservative views on issues such as gay rights and abortion is calling for urgent change to get the economy back on track and save Spain from seeking a humiliating financial bailout.

His party's opponents, meanwhile, claim the PP is being vague about its policies to conceal plans to introduce savage cuts and private sector involvement in health and education. As shown by municipal elections earlier this year, Rajoy's PP is likely to benefit from a large turnout of right-wing voters while younger, traditionally left-wing voters stay away in droves.

But, as with EU partners Greece, Italy and Portugal, the scale of the social and economic challenge facing  Spain's new leader mean that -- even for a politician who has lost twice in the past -- winning on November 20 will be the easy part.
/ENDS