Spanish are overreacting to austerity measures

In Spain Public sector employees went on strike to protest at the government's austerity programme. The country's trade unions initiated the protests. The daily Eesti Päevaleht shows little understanding for their actions: "So what are these reforms that have brought hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets? The Spanish government has decided to cut public-sector employees' salaries by 5 percent and those of ministers by 15 percent. In addition, state investments will be reduced and pensions frozen. With these measures Spain is doing nothing more than what Estonia already did one and half years ago. The situation is somewhat paradoxical because Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is a socialist and declared a few years ago that he sleeps with his trade union membership card under his pillow. But the very trade unions that brought him to power are now protesting against him. … This Pauline conversion is conspicuous, but the Spanish government had no alternative."

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