euro|topics - Zapatero starts his second term

04/07/2009

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Main focus of Monday, April 14, 2008

Zapatero starts his second term

The Spanish Socialist José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero was sworn in for a second term as prime minister on April 12th. He announced his cabinet which, for the first time in Spain, is made up of more women than men. The European press analyses his choices.

Diário de Notícias - Portugal

Lisbon's daily underlines the economic priority in José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero second mandate. "The new government is made up of nine women and eight men, making parity the norm at the summit of power. Otherwise, this only confirms the role of women in the Spanish workforce, already strong for the last ten years. ... Zapatero's announced priority is the economy. But it won't only be a matter of overcoming the construction crisis. Recognising the insufficient level of progress in productivity and the necessity of strongly developing high value-added services and technology are also priorities of the new government. And it's on the results of these policies that Zapatero and his new team will be judged in four years." (13/04/2008)

Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland

Peter Gaupp examines the new Spanish cabinet, the most important change in which has been the appointment of a female defence minister, Carme Chacón. "The balance between the sexes in the government, which is a top priority for Spanish Prime Minister Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, has shifted in favour of women with this latest addition to the cabinet. Now there's parity even when you count in the prime minister - not just the team around him. Spain probably now has the most female government in the world, and equality of the sexes as a government goal is also embodied in the new ministry for equality. Naturally it's led by a woman, 31-year-old Bibiana Aído, who until now was active in regional politics in Andalusia, and is largely unknown in Madrid." (14/04/2008)

El Mundo - Spain

The daily examines the composition of the new Spanish government, announced April 12th. "The first government of the second legislature of the era of Zapatero ... embodies all the best political qualities of 'Zapaterism' - audacity, boldness, modernity, innovation and imagination - but also a large number of its faults: stubbornness, frivolousness and sectarianism. The make-up of this executive, as well as the head of government's explanations of the criteria used for its selection, show that Zapatero wants to go down in history as the great moderniser and that he's naming his ministers accordingly, with the idea of creating a 'social pedagogy'. Not because they are the best people to manage Spain's problems, but because they are the ones who best project the image Zapatero wants people to have of him." (13/04/2008)

» To the complete press review of Monday, April 14, 2008

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