Has * called to congratulate the new Socialist PM of Spain yet?

[MoonRiver]

I mean it's his statesmanly duty isn't it? Inquiring minds want to know. :D

[Bluzmann57]

1. Hmmm good question

I have ten bucks that says he may not.

[DuctapeFatwa]

2. Maybe they're waiting till the C.A.R gets Aristide's old room ready

Then they can send some Marines to Madrid to welcome him personally.

[Kellanved]

3. I don't believe that it is his duty yet

Zapatero is not PM unless elected to that position by the new Parliament and appointed by the King.
As the Socialists have no absolute majority, a coalition has to be formed - until then Bush can wait with his telegramm.

[MoonRiver]

5. Well, Blair had friendly talk with the new PM:

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12956,1169692,00.html

but bushco must not be feeling as hospitable. :D

edited for punctuation :argh:

[flamingpie2500]

4. Heard on CNN on couple of min. ago that * is "formulating his response"

Has this guy ever had an intelligent, honest, INSTANT response to anything? What a joke.

[Nicholas_J]

6. Doubt it given the very fist statement of the New Spanish Leader:

Blair Went to War on Lies Says New Spanish Leader

Spain’s next prime minister predictably broke from the Iraq alliance today and accused Tony Blair and President Bush of “organising a war on lies.”


He pledged to bring Spanish troops home from Iraq by the end of June.

A day after his Socialists swept Spain’s ruling conservatives from power in elections overshadowed by the Madrid massacre, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero harshly criticised the US led war even as he promised to maintain good relations with Washington.

The war “divided more than it united, there were no reasons for it. Time has shown that the arguments for it lacked credibility and the occupation has been managed badly,” he said.

US President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair “will have to engage in reflection and self-criticism,” he said in an interview. “You cannot organise a war with lies.

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2653676

Zapatero's win puts PM in dock over question of trust
By Andrew Grice, Political Editor
16 March 2004


Before the Spanish general election, British ministers were quite happy to pay generous tributes to José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the country's Socialist leader. One minister even described him as "the new Tony Blair" and saviour of his party ­ but added swiftly that he had no chance of winning.

Now the Government must somehow forge a working relationship with the new Spanish Prime Minister, who marked his victory by accusing Mr Blair and President George Bush of organising a war "with lies".

Although Mr Blair did not intervene directly in Spain's election, it was an open secret that he wanted ­ and expected ­ José Maria Aznar's conservative People's Party to remain in power.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=501677

The new leader was one of the most active opponent of Aznars support of Bush in his stance on Iraq.

Aznar was Blairs only ally in the E.U. regarding the war in Iraq, and it will cost him a great deal of problems with that body now.

It is also anticipated that this is going to cost John Howard a great deal of problems for ignoring the massive lack of support for the Iraq war in Australia.

An ABC report has indicated that the ALP is using the events in Spain to begin a challenge to Howard's Conservative Government.

The recent events in Spain are being seen in all of the nations in which the leaders ignored the obvious sentiments of their people in order to support Bush and his policies on Iraq. The terrorist attack is being loudly cited as a very good indication that going after Saddam Hussein didnt do one thing to stop the terrorism of Al Qaeda, among the citizens of the most well know of the "coalition of the willing"

There are very strong indications that the Conservative government of John Howard will be next to fall.

I do not think it is goinmg to be a very good year for conservatives all the way around.

[MoonRiver]

7. And * thought that conservative Chirac was a load of trouble!

:D