Leading Spanish daily in rare break with socialist PM
Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
There was a growing feeling that "he (Zapatero) acts with improvisation and flippancy against one of the most serious economic crises of the country's history " it said.
 "If the government that Zapatero presides (over) wants to move away from the slippery slope it is on and ensure its continuity and  most importantly  drive the economic recovery and not dive into the abyss  a change is necessary " it added.
 The left-wing newspaper has in recent weeks been highly critical of Zapatero's personal leadership style and economic policies.
 El Pais was the Prime Minister's main media ally before and after he came to power in 2004.
 Earlier this month the newspaper published a huge caricature depicting Zapatero at the helm of a sinking map of Spain encircled by sharks marked unemployment and deficit.
 It also comes on the heels of the resignation this month by three former cabinet ministers in Zapatero's government from their seats in parliament in what has been seen as a sign of a growing split within the ruling party.
 El Pais accused Zapatero of increasingly adopting a "presidential" style and said change was needed "not only with respect to the political measures adopted but also in the way they are taken and executed  which has reached an unprecedented level of confusion."
There was a growing feeling that "he ([TGT]) acts with improvisation and flippancy against one of the most serious economic crises of the country's history " it said.
 "If the government that [TGT] presides (over) wants to move away from the slippery slope it is on and ensure its continuity and  most importantly  drive the economic recovery and not dive into the abyss  a change is necessary " it added.
 The left-wing newspaper has in recent weeks been highly critical of [TGT]'s personal leadership style and economic policies.
 El Pais was the Prime Minister's main media ally before and after [TGT] came to power in 2004.
 Earlier this month the newspaper published a huge caricature depicting [TGT] at the helm of a sinking map of Spain encircled by sharks marked unemployment and deficit.
 It also comes on the heels of the resignation this month by three former cabinet ministers in [TGT]'s government from their seats in parliament in what has been seen as a sign of a growing split within the ruling party.
 El Pais accused [TGT] of increasingly adopting a "presidential" style and said change was needed "not only with respect to the political measures adopted but also in the way they are taken and executed  which has reached an unprecedented level of confusion."