Mariano Rajoy | Facts and Biography | Britannica.com Mariano Rajoy, in full Mariano Rajoy Brey (born March 27, 1955, Santiago de Compostela, Spain), Spanish politician who was elected prime minister of Spain in 2011. Mariano Rajoy, 2012. Juan Medina—Reuters/Landov Rajoy was raised in the Galicia region of northern Spain. He studied law at the University of Santiago de Compostela, receiving a degree in 1978. After briefly working as a land registrar, he embarked on a career in politics, being elected when 26 years old as a regional deputy for what would become the Popular Party (Partido Popular; PP). He served in local and regional government through most of the 1980s. From 1996 Rajoy served in the PP government of Prime Minister José María Aznar , holding, successively, the posts of minister of public administration, minister of education and culture, and minister of the interior, and in 2003 Aznar handpicked Rajoy as the party’s new leader.

The following year the conservative PP was expected to claim another victory in the general elections, but what was widely perceived as the government’s inadequate response to the Madrid train bombings , which occurred just days before the election, put a dent in the party’s support. Rajoy again failed to lead the PP to victory in 2008. But as the European sovereign debt crisis continued to escalate, the PP ousted the reigning Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Español; PSOE) with a landslide victory in the 2011 election, winning the biggest parliamentary majority in nearly three decades. A social conservative raised as a Roman Catholic, Rajoy was especially outspoken about curbing abortion rights and in his opposition to same-sex marriages . Nevertheless, during his tenure in the PP, he helped lead the party from the hard right to centre-right. Many hoped that Rajoy and the PP, which had, from the late 1990s, overseen the fiscal preparations necessary for Spain to adopt the euro , would help steer the country out of spiraling recession.

He was sworn in as prime minister on December 21, 2011, and he pledged to implement a series of austerity measures that would reduce Spain’s deficit. Indeed, Spain’s 2012 budget was regarded as the most austere since the restoration of democracy, with an array of tax hikes and cuts to social welfare programs. Rajoy’s efforts triggered a fierce backlash from trade unions and initially did little to reverse the economic downturn. In July 2012 the Spanish banking sector received a €100 billion (more than $125 billion) bailout from the EU and the International Monetary Fund , and the economy stabilized somewhat in 2013, but public dissatisfaction with Rajoy remained high, as few of the larger financial gains were felt among the middle class. Unemployment remained at record levels, and separatist movements in the Basque Country and Catalonia became increasingly vocal in their demands for greater autonomy.

Indeed, on November 9, 2015, the regional parliament in Catalonia began the process of seceding from Spain by narrowly approving a measure to implement a “peaceful disconnection from the Spanish state.” Pro-independence parties had won 62 seats in regional parliamentary elections in Catalonia in September. Although that left them short of a majority, they were able to form a coalition government with the anti-austerity Popular Unity Candidacy. Those who favoured independence interpreted the result as a de facto referendum on secession, while the Rajoy government dismissed such claims. Rajoy responded to the secession declaration with an immediate appeal to the Spanish Constitutional Court and stated adamantly that “Catalonia will not disconnect itself from anywhere.” Britannica Stories Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent Public opposition to additional austerity measures by the Rajoy government coalesced into Podemos (“We Can”), a party founded in 2014 that quickly asserted its influence on the political scene. With support plunging for established parties such as the PP and the Socialists, Rajoy nonetheless stressed the need for continued adherence to austerity measures. By 2015 the Spanish economy had begun to turn around, becoming one of the fastest-growing in Europe.

However, in December 2015, when voters went to the polls for a parliamentary election, unemployment still stood at 21 percent. The electorate’s disenchantment with both the PP and PSOE showed in the election results. The PP finished first but lost its parliamentary majority, tumbling from 186 seats in 2011 to 123 seats in 2015, whereas the PSOE finished second, dropping from 110 seats in 2011 to 90 seats in 2015. Their losses came at the expense of a surging Podemos, which won 69 seats, and the burgeoning centre-right Ciudadanos (Citizens), which adamantly opposed Catalan separatism and secured 40 seats. A worker removing a campaign poster depicting Spain’s acting prime minister Mariano Rajoy, one day … Emilio Morenatti/AP Images Rajoy was unable to build the consensus necessary to form a government, and another election was held in June 2016. Once again the PP finished first but well short of a majority.

The deadlock continued, and it appeared that Spain would be conducting its third election in just over a year, with polling scheduled to be held on Christmas Day. In late October, however, the Socialists pledged to abstain from a vote of confidence on Rajoy’s prime ministership, effectively granting him the authority to form a minority government. He was reelected prime minister on October 29, 2016. Spain profile - Leaders - BBC News Spain profile - Leaders Head of state: King Felipe VI Image copyright AFP King Felipe succeeded to the throne on the abdication of his father Juan Carlos in June 2014. Born in 1968 when his father was heir-apparent to the vacant throne during the Franco dictatorship, Prince Felipe was educated for his future royal role, and undertook official engagements on behalf of the king from 1995. Despite retaining considerable constitutional power as chief executive and commander-in-chief, King Felipe has pledged to continue his father's legacy of supporting the primacy of parliament.

King Juan Carlos won great public respect for the way he steered Spain to democracy after the death of General Franco in 1975, but the royal family's reputation was tarnished by a number of personal and financial scandals towards the end of his reign. King Felipe, like his father, is a keen sailor and represented Spain at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. He trained as a military pilot, has a degree in law, and studied diplomacy at Georgetown University. As heir to the throne he was active in promoting closer ties between Spanish-speaking countries, and has toured Latin America widely. The King is married to Queen Letizia, a former journalist, and they have two daughters. Prime Minister: Mariano Rajoy Mariano Rajoy became prime minister in December 2011 after his conservative Popular Party won a resounding victory in parliamentary elections. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy came to power at a time of economic crisis The election campaign was dominated by Spain's deep debt crisis and sky-high unemployment, and the governing Socialists' defeat was widely expected.

Mr Rajoy, who has long been known as a cautious public administrator, warned the Spanish people that there was no miracle cure to restore the country to economic health. The son of a lawyer, Mariano Rajoy grew up in a socially conservative Catholic environment, studied law and began his career as a land registrar. He became a regional deputy for the Popular Party at the age of 26 and rose steadily through the party ranks. He held a number of ministerial positions in the governments of Jose Maria Aznar from 1996 to 2004, and was rewarded for his loyalty and discipline when Mr Aznar chose him as his successor as party leader. As leader of the opposition after the 2004 election, Mr Rajoy struggled to rebuild the party's fortunes. His staying power finally paid dividends when the global economic downturn destroyed public faith in the Socialists' ability to steer the country through a period of deep crisis. In office he struggled to impose financial discipline, and had to turn to the European Union to bail out the banking sector in June 2012.

Spain emerged from recession in late 2013, but unemployment remains high and boosted the fortunes of Podemos, a new populist anti-austerity movement, as well as a liberal movement called Cuidadanos. Mr Rajoy lost his majority at the December 2015 general election, with Podemos and Cuidadanos challenging the Popular and Socialist parties' domination of politics since the 1980s. After he was unable to form a workable coalition, a re-run election was held in June 2016. This produced a few extra seats for the Popular Party, but still not enough to give Mr Rajoy a majority. In October, Spain's parliament voted to allow Mr Rajoy to lead a minority government after a 10-month political deadlock following the inconclusive elections. Profile: Spain's Mariano Rajoy - BBC News BBC News Close share panel Image caption Mr Rajoy is tasked with steering Spain through an economic crisis Mariano Rajoy is the patient man of Spanish politics, rewarded in 2011 at his third attempt to lead the conservative Popular Party to victory in a general election.

But tasked with steering his country through its worst economic crisis in recent history, he has found himself embroiled in a corruption scandal that has unnerved Spanish voters and markets alike. His supporters see him as the crisis manager needed to avert a Spanish bailout, schooled in government under former centre-right PM Jose Maria Aznar. Critics accuse him of misleading voters into thinking he is a moderate, while harbouring a hidden agenda of economic shock therapy. Friend and foe alike agree that the lanky man in glasses is not the most charismatic of politicians but Mr Rajoy, in fairness, does not promise fireworks. The walker Born the Catholic son of a lawyer in 1955, Mariano Rajoy was brought up in Santiago de Compostela, studied law and became a land registrar. Image caption Mr Rajoy survived a helicopter crash in 2005 The married father-of-two is known to be a fan of cycling and the Real Madrid football team. The moderate cigar-smoker's own idea of exercise is a good walk. He first grew his beard when injuries from a serious car crash prevented him from shaving. December 2005 saw another narrow escape when his helicopter crashed after taking off from a bullring outside Madrid.

He walked away with a broken finger. Politically, Mariano Rajoy is also a survivor. 'Bitter moments' Elected a regional deputy for the Popular Party at the age of 26, he climbed through the ranks, serving as a minister in the Aznar governments of 1996-2004. Image caption Mr Rajoy (foreground) had been expected to take power in the 2004 election He was, successively, minister of public administration, education and culture, and the interior, and was chosen by Mr Aznar as his preferred successor at the 2004 election, when the party was tipped to win a third term. In the event, the Popular Party (PP) crashed out of office, its shock defeat blamed on the Madrid train bombings and the outgoing prime minister's handling of the atrocity. As leader of the opposition, Mr Rajoy struggled to rebuild the PP's fortunes and was defeated again in 2008, though the party increased its share of the vote and seats.

If anything has changed since the last election, reports suggest, it may be that Mr Rajoy has turned down the volume on the party's hardline rhetoric about the Basque separatist group Eta, when it declared an end to its armed campaign in 2011. He remains a social conservative, seeking to deny girls under 16 the right to abortion without parental consent and, on gay relationships, saying he prefers the term "civil union" to "marriage". Though he is no stranger to European politics, regularly attending meetings of the centre-right European People's Party, he is "not very interested in foreign policy", correspondents say, with some suggesting the Spanish leader struggles with language issues when it comes to dealing with Brussels. Mystery man The Spanish stereotype of Galicians as a closed people, reluctant to give a straight answer, appears to be borne out in Mr Rajoy's case. Rajoy scandal - the key questions What are the allegations? That documents published by El Pais are a list of undeclared or secret cash payments to senior PP members Is Spain's prime minister involved? Mariano Rajoy's name is written a number of times in the documents. How damaging could this case be?

The scandal has already damaged the image of Mr Rajoy and his party because it has received such widespread media coverage. What happens next? Spain's chief state prosecutor says there could be enough evidence to investigate. Mr Rajoy says he will publish his earnings online. Opposition leaders have called for him to resign, but as things stand, that looks unlikely. Q&A: Spain's corruption scandal Mr Rajoy, a social conservative from a strong Catholic, provincial background, appears to have little time for the young urban demonstrators of the Indignado movement, or Spain's trade unions. Yet under the former interior minister's leadership, the Popular Party was seen as moving closer to the centre ground of Spanish politics, ditching the party's ideological, authoritarian old guard. Confidence in Mr Rajoy was shaken in late January when the newspaper El Pais published images of documents allegedly showing secret payments to PP members - including the prime minister. He denied receiving illegal money, saying his government remained strong and would overcome the accusations, which have sparked protests and an online petition for his resignation signed by 850,000 people.

While he received the backing of both German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the IMF who said his government's austerity package was progressing well, the scandal unnerved Spanish voters and markets alike. The conservative leader's staying power may prove a crucial factor: The challenge for the great pedestrian lies in getting the country to run with him, and last the pace. Mariano Rajoy | Politics of Spain Politics of Spain Mariano Rajoy – Prime Minister of Spain Mariano Rajoy - Prime Minister of Spain Mariano Rajoy Brey is the current Prime Minister of Spain and President of the ruling Partido Popular (PP) centre-right party. After the General Election of 20th November 2011 Rajoy became the sixth post-democracy Prime Minister, and assumed office on 21st December 2011. Rajoy was born in Santiago de Compostela on 27th March 1955. His political life began when he was elected as a deputy for Alianza Popular (the predecessor of the modern-day Partido Popular) in the first regional elections for the autonomous community of Galicia on 20th October 1981.

Throughout the 1980s Rajoy held several briefs in the Galician regional government (the Junta de Galicia). Although elected to the national Congress of Deputies in the 1986 General Election, he soon returned to Galicia to serve as Vice President of the Junta de Galicia. After the birth of the Partido Popular in 1989 Rajoy returned to national level politics as the representative for Pontevedra and was appointed to the PP´s National Executive Committee. One year later, after the election of José María Aznar as President of the PP, he was named Deputy Secretary General. Rajoy was re-elected as the deputy for Pontevedra in 1993 and again at the General Election of 1996, when Aznar became the Prime Minister of Spain. From 1996-99 Rajoy served as Minister for Public Administration, and from 1999-2000 he served as Minister of Education and Culture. After coordinating the campaign for the PP’s landslide victory in the 2000 General Election, Rajoy was promoted to First Vice President of the Government by Aznar as well as Minister of the Presidency.

In 2001 he became Minister of the Interior before returning to his role as Minister of the Presidency and Government Spokesman in 2002. When Prime Minister Aznar decided to retire from political office in 2003 he proposed Rajoy as his successor to lead the PP, and he was subsequently elected at the party’s National Congress. In the 2004 General Election the socialist PSOE, led by José Luís Rodríguez Zapatero, swept to power defeating the PP and Rajoy. Rajoy continued as President of the PP but was yet again defeated by Zapatero at the 2008 General Election. Following his second defeat there were attempts by some in the party to install a new leader, but Rajoy stood for relection once more, and his position was reaffirmed once again by the party’s National Congress. At the General Election in November 2011 Rajoy finally succeeded in defeating the PSOE and their candidate Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, leading the PP to a landslide victory and an absolute majority. He was sworn in as Prime Minister on 20th December 2011 by the King of Spain and he took office the next day.

Share this: Conservative Mariano Rajoy poised to be Spain's new prime minister - CNN.com Conservative Mariano Rajoy poised to be Spain's new prime minister By Al Goodman, CNN Updated 3:32 PM ET, Tue December 20, 2011 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Story highlights Conservative leader Mariano Rajoy is expected to be sworn in as prime minister Wednesday Socialist Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is the outgoing prime minister Rajoy had a landslide victory in parliamentary elections November 20 Conservative leader Mariano Rajoy won the investiture in Spain's Parliament Tuesday to become the country's next prime minister. Rajoy is expected to be sworn in Wednesday, after which he'll begin to try to pull Spain out of its deep economic crisis. The outcome of the two-day investiture debate in Parliament was never in doubt after Rajoy's landslide election victory in parliamentary elections November 20. Rajoy won 187 votes on the investiture vote, with 149 opposed -- including the Socialist Party, which was defeated in last month's elections over its handling of the economy. U.S.

President Barack Obama spoke with Rajoy by telephone Tuesday, to congratulate him and "to underscore U.S. support for his economic reform," according to a White House statement. "The two leaders agreed on the vitality of the alliance" between Spain and the United States, the statement added. About 5 million people in the country are jobless. Spain has an overall unemployment rate of 21.5%, but it youth unemployment rate is a staggering 45%. In a speech to Parliament on Monday, Rajoy reiterated his campaign theme that fixing the broken economy, including growth and job creation, will be his top priority. He said 16.5 billion euros (about $21.5 billion) will be cut from the budget next year to meet Spain's deficit reduction target. Critics say he has yet to explain where the deep cuts will be made, but Rajoy said he can't make the 2012 budget until his government takes power. Rajoy is due to be sworn in on Wednesday before King Juan Carlos; his Cabinet ministers, yet to be announced, will be sworn in on Thursday, and the first Cabinet meeting is set for Friday.

In the parliamentary speech, Rajoy promised to update pension payments, which were frozen under the Socialists amid much public outcry. But he said that would be the only spending increase in his new budget. He said there would soon be labor market reforms to make Spain's workforce more flexible and competitive and that there would be mergers and takeovers in Spain's troubled banking sector -- which holds a lot of bad debt from 750,000 unsold new homes that went up during the real estate boom but before the financial crisis and credit crunch set in. Rajoy said most of Spain's national holidays that fall on weekdays would be observed on the closest Monday to improve productivity. Earlier this month, two national holidays fell on a Tuesday and a Thursday in the same week, and employers complained it was a lost week for worker productivity. In an effort to help cash-strapped professionals and small businesses, Rajoy said they would not need to pay value-added tax on their goods and services until they collect back payments. Many of those debts are owed by government administrations at all levels, which are months in arrears in paying their suppliers due to the crisis.

The outgoing Socialist Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, will not sleep at the prime minister's compound on Tuesday Mariano Rajoy | The Plaid Avenger The Plaid Avenger Special Skill: Calm and cool under pressure Official Stats Years Left in Office: Two years; reelection possible Political Classification: Center-right Education: Bachelor of Law from the University of Santiago de Compostela Age: 61 (born March 27, 1955) Mariano Rajoy Facts and Information Important Points Mariano Rajoy’s success cannot be measured by Spain’s current economy; he was handed a mess! Rajoy is not popular in Spain at all. (He wants them to work!) Rajoy is trying to get away from his parties far right ideals to try and appeal to more people. Rajoy is seen as a boring and bland leader with no charisma to get his people excited about anything let alone coming out of a recession! The Rundown To understand what is going on with Spain today first we have to take a step back and look at its past! I mean, what the hell happened to it?

We all know about how back in Columbus’ time it had the famed Spanish Armada and it was one of the leading world powers throughout the 15th and 16th centuries (Green). We also know that now it isn’t leading a whole lot of anything besides unemployment and debt! So how did all of this happen? How did Spain go from Latin American Hero to European Zero? Well to start off Spain came out of Roman rule doing pretty good. And by good I mean they controlled a lot of resources and a lot of land, and that is exactly why they were one of the European Powerhouses of the 15th-16th centuries. Up until the late 19th century Spain held almost all of the territory in Latin America besides Brazil, which was controlled by those pesky Portuguese. Then in the 1800’s the United States turned into a world powerhouse and it wanted to expand. So the U.S. began to claim protection on the land in South and Central America that Spain controlled and there was even a brief war, but the Spanish could not compete with the powerful United States and in 1898 Spain lost the last of its territory in the western hemisphere (Green).

After the Spanish lost their overseas empire things just started to go downhill. The 20th century in Spanish politics can be seen as a century filled with revolutions and political blunders. After years of frustration with the Spanish monarchy an army general named Francisco Franco led the revolution to overthrow the monarchy and bring about social reform to help the people. This is known as the Spanish Civil War and it lasted from 1936-1939 (Green). General Franco was victorious and he led Spain through a 40-year dictatorship that could be described as corrupt and damaging. Ever since then Spain has been a socialist society and that has led to over spending on government-funded programs that have in turn caused a lot of debt. The predecessor of Mariano Rajoy, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, caused many economic problems. He was in power when Spain’s recession began and when he left office Spain was in quite a mess (Catan). Spain is known as one of the European PIGS because all that they have done is borrow and borrow without paying anybody back! Wow! What a mess we have in Spain! Who would possibly want to try to bring them out of this mess going on? Now let’s have a look at Spain’s current situation!

They are most certainly going through some tough economic times, but who is the guy trying to get them out of the gutter? That would be 58 year old Mariano Rajoy, the Prime Minister of Spain. Rajoy was born on March 27, 1955 and he has spent his whole life working to become the person of power in Spanish politics (Sahagun). Rajoy graduated from the University of Santiago de Compostela with exam scores good enough to put him into the civil service sector of Spain’s workforce. He then married the love of his life Viri Fernandez and since then his political career has taken off! (The Business Year). At 26 Rajoy was elected as the regional deputy of the Popular Party and since then he has worked his way through the ranks to become the Minister of public administration, education, culture, and interior (Profile). Wow! He had done it all in politics until 2004 when he ran for Prime Minister as the leader of the People’s Party (PP).

Rajoy and his party were expected to win the election in 2004, but horrific bombings struck Madrid right before the election and everybody went nuts and blamed the government for the attacks (Prensa). Instead of Rajoy winning the election the PP’s opposition, the Spanish Socialist Worker’s Party (PSOE), took the votes at the last second. But Rajoy continued forward with his rightist conservative party and in 2011 the PP won the election in Spain by a huge margin. Rajoy took Premiership on December 21, 2011 and ever since then we could describe his leadership as cover-ups and economic downfalls. (Encyclopedia). Rajoy has done a lot of good for his party as he has brought it from the far right more towards the center. As leader of the PP Rajoy has enacted laws not allowing abortions for girls under the age of 16 and he is not the biggest fan of gay marriage either (Profile). Rajoy also has a strong stance on immigration. He has proposed laws that would limit Islamic immigrants from coming into the country and he also wants immigrants to leave the country if they have not found work within a year or if they have committed crimes (Man).

He wants everybody else to get the hell out of his country so he can focus on helping his people! What does all of this mean for Spain socially speaking? Rajoy is bringing Spain back to its core values and he believes that hard work and austerity will help bring the economy and the state back to being a global force. Rajoy is shifting Spain from the liberal policies of the former party and he is bringing about new, stricter legislation to a struggling state. Economically speaking Rajoy is all about cutting government spending and trying to get away from the socialist polices of before. Rajoy was given a mess when he took office and he has found it very difficult to clean it up. Spain’s unemployment rate hovers around 27% and people simply cannot find jobs (Charlemagne). Rajoy has been cutting subsidies to farmers and more importantly to electric companies. Because of the subsidies to power companies during the previous party’s rule there is a 26 billion euro deficit (Subsidy). Now that’s a lot of damn money! Rajoy has been forced to borrow and borrow and borrow some more while in power. Spain simply does not have enough money to pay all of its debts!

This has brought a lot of scrutiny from the EU. Rajoy has been trying and trying to get extensions in order for Spain to meet economic standards. It has been impossible for him to get any closer to leaving the recession because Spain’s economy has contracted for the past 7 quarters (Benoit). There is really no hope in sight for Rajoy to get his economy back up and running unless he gets a lot of help from the European Bank, but even after a massive bailout nothing has really changed. One of Rajoy’s big plans is to help out smaller companies and to cut out bureaucracy involving companies trading throughout multiple regions (Benoit). It is time for Spain to turn the corner and get its economy back into shape. Time is running out and if nothing changes soon we could have another Greece on our hands! Rajoy has also faced troubles internally while in office. In January of 2013 there was a leak in the media that reported that funds were given to members of the PP and Rajoy himself (Profile). Now wouldn’t that be something! Here Rajoy is sitting in the middle of a huge economic crisis and him and his associates are receiving a little extra cash on the side.

But no worries, because Angela Merkel and the IMF supported Rajoy and his economic plan saying that it was going just fine and for everybody to stop worrying about the government cutbacks (Profile). As long as Rajoy can maintain his innocence he seems to be in the clear for now…. Foreign policy with Rajoy is something that is not of that much importance. Sure Rajoy wants Spain to be an influential power in Europe competing with the UK, Germany, and France, but with the whole economic crisis that he faces foreign policy is not the number one thing on his mind. Rajoy knows that he must suck up to Angela Merkel of Germany so he can get his hands on some of that money that she has stockpiled up. But other than that the only major foreign influence that he has lies in Latin America. Since Rajoy solo habla español, he can get in good with the people south of the border by offering them financial assistance (Post Zapatero). But since he does not even have enough money for his own country, the chances of him helping the Latinos out are slim to none. But we will see what happens. It will be interesting to see what kind of influence Spain has on Latin America once Rajoy leaves office.

Rajoy has a pretty big job as Prime Minister of Spain in that he can bring it back to an influential economic power or he can drive it right into the ground. He is going to have to piss a lot of Spaniards off trying to bring the economy back because he is going to have to cut government spending and make them work their way out of the crisis. The one thing that Rajoy has going for him is that he has Europe on his side, and by Europe I mean Germany. Germany has pretty much all of the money in Europe and so long as Rajoy can stay buddies with Angela Merkel he stands a good chance at getting some help. If Rajoy can bring Spain’s economy back he can turn Spain back into a powerhouse that would help Europe tremendously! Only time will tell if Rajoy and his right center friends in the PP can get some money back into the economy and get some people some jobs! For now they’ll just keep borrowing money and bullfighting! That’s all on Rajoy and Spain. Adios amigos!

Photos Mariano Rajoy sworn in as Spanish PM|Europe|chinadaily.com.cn Mariano Rajoy sworn in as Spanish PM Updated: 2011-12-22 07:05 分享按钮 0 MADRID - Mariano Rajoy was sworn in as the new prime minister of Spain by King Juan Carlos II at the royal residence of the Palacio de la Zarzuela on Wednesday. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy leaves after announcing the names of the members of his cabinet at Madrid's Moncloa Palace December 21, 2011. Rajoy was elected after his right wing Popular Party won an overall majority in the general election held last month, gaining 186 seats in the 350-seat-Congress. He was confirmed as Spain's new prime minister by Congress on Tuesday following a two-day investiture debate in which he set out the program of his new government, which will include wide-scale spending cuts in order to reduce the country's deficit by 16.5 billion euros ($21.7 billion).

The final act of protocol before Rajoy took office saw him swear an oath of loyalty to King and country on a crucifix, a bible and a copy of Spain's 1980 constitution. In doing so, he became the sixth prime minister of Spanish democracy following the death of General Franco in 1975 and the second member of his party, following Jose Maria Aznar, to lead his country. Spain's previous prime ministers since 1975 are Adolfo Suarez, Leopaldo Caldo-Sotero Bustelo, Felipe Gonzalez, Aznar and Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Following the investiture, Rajoy took up residence at the Palacio de la Moncloa as did his predecessors. Rajoy, Spain's new PM, warns of tough economic road ahead - CSMonitor.com Rajoy, Spain's new PM, warns of tough economic road ahead Save for later Saved Mariano Rajoy (l.) is sworn in before King Juan Carlos (r.) to become Spain's new prime minister at the Zarzuela Palace, in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday. Rajoy's Popular Party won a landslide victory in the November elections on promises to lift Spain out of its economic crisis.

AP View Caption of Madrid — Spain ’s new Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was sworn in today amid cautious optimism here and across Europe that he will deepen painful but necessary economic reforms, and that the country will be a driver of recovery, not of stagnation. Unlike most other troubled European countries, namely Italy , Spain has not shied away from reforms, even with the outgoing Socialist government. Mr. Rajoy, a conservative, is not so much an agent of change but of continuity for policymakers and markets alike, analysts say. He will control parliament because of his party's absolute majority in November elections, allowing him to push through legislation quickly. “The future could not be any more somber,” Rajoy said in his investiture speech today. The debt to GDP ratio increased to nearly 70 percent in 2011, compared to 36 percent in 2007, he said. “We face huge difficulties, and very demanding challenges are ahead. … But those who believe Spain will not implement the reforms to be successful in Europe are totally wrong.” Photos of the Day Photos of the day 02/08 The greatest challenge will be finding a balance between growth and austerity.

Markets have rebounded since Rajoy’s November victory in anticipation of economic reforms in the financial and labor sectors that would spur growth and decrease unemployment, while still cutting public spending. Spaniards' endurance of cuts is likely to be further tested after three years of austerity and stagnation. Keeping the 18-wheeler on track The euro zone, a 17-member fiscal union that shares a single currency, is like an 18-wheeler. Spain has the fourth-largest economy and population in the eurozone, and as such it’s one of four critical axles, along with Germany , France , and Italy. Just about any tire can go flat, perhaps even fall off, and the truck will still roll on – unless the tire is on one of those four axles. A broken down eurozone would quickly drag the United Kingdom with it and the rest of Europe would follow, with the US trailing close by. Rajoy's job of steering the Spanish economy is thus a critical one. “Spain though is quite constructive. We saw good success. Fiscal adjustment has been credible, social acceptance is good.

It’s a good example,” said Luigi Speranza, a London -based eurozone economist with French bank BNP Paribas . “But it’s very important, not just because of size. It’s politically important. If Spain fails everything will fail.” The cost of borrowing for Spain has plummeted from nearly 7 percent to 5.3 percent since Rajoy was elected, although much has to do with the European Central Bank ’s decision to inject almost €500 billion of cheap cash into the European financial system. Still, Italy and other countries have not benefited as much, due to a lack of political consensus, which Spain has. The pain ahead But during the two-day debate on his appointment that started Monday, Rajoy did not paint an optimistic short-term future. Instead, he pleaded for Spaniards' patience. Spain is largely believed to have reentered a recession this quarter, and its economy is expected to contract between 1 and 1.5 percent in 2012. The unemployment rate, already the European Union ’s highest, is expected to continue growing from its current rate of nearly 22 percent. Rajoy left out the details of his plans, especially in terms of labor and financial sector reforms.

But by the end of the year, his government will pass emergency decrees to tackle the economic challenge, he said in his speech before parliament. Rajoy said at least €16.5 billion would be cut in 2012 to meet Spain's commitments, but that is may be an overly optimistic target. By the end of 2011, Spain was supposed to cut its public deficit to equal 6 percent of gross domestic product, and even further in 2012 to reach 4.4 percent of GDP. But this year's deficit will be higher than expected because of the toll the debt crisis took on Spain's public finances. Regardless of what is required, Rajoy has said Spain will meet its target by 2012 – a tough commitment, given EU Commission estimates that its 2011 deficit spending will reach 6.3 percent and it is on track for reaching 5.3 percent in 2012. That implies severe pain. Some analysts expects spending cuts to at least triple from 2011’s €11.4 billion.

Rajoy has been clear that he intends to continue his predecessor's track record of cuts and economic reforms, in line with German and French guidelines, and Germany was quick to ask Rajoy to speed up reforms after the parliamentary rubber stamp Tuesday on his new post. The only spending increase will be for retirement payments. Mandate to cut Rajoy's conservative majority voted the new prime minister in for four years, but the left and nationalist parties – who make up almost half of the parliament – voted against him or abstained. The stark vote breakdown is likely to be repeated in the legislative agenda in coming months because Rajoy’s Popular Party doesn’t need further legislative support to pass any vote. It received almost 45 percent of the vote . Furthermore, if the election results are any indication, Spaniards are willing to take the austerity measures they know are coming. Rajoy therefore has ample space to maneuver. In the end, that is Spain’s biggest asset. The concern is not about the country's dedication to making cuts, but whether much-needed growth can happen at the same time. If it doesn't, Rajoy could face waning support for his economic agenda.

“The concern is on the activity side – that is, whether the economy will grow enough to garner support for Rajoy’s strategy,” says Speranza, the London-based economist. “The cost in terms of economic activity of austerity is significant. It makes it more difficult to implement reforms.” So far, things are on track. “It was quite impressive. Even before elections, both main parties began to commit themselves to an austerity agenda,” says Stewart Fleming, associate fellow in international economics at Chatham House , a British think tank. “They didn’t use the crisis as political football and markets have responded positively.” But there is always the risk of backsliding, analysts warn – particularly because Spain is tied to other countries struggling to return to growth. “Reform by individual members is made more difficult because Europe as a group has yet to come to terms with satisfying financial markets,” Fleming says. The world is just going to have to accept the solution comes with time. “Markets look at tomorrow, but this will take years,” Speranza says.

Next up Spain on course to elect a conservative as PM | World news | The Guardian Spain Spain on course to elect a conservative as PM Mariano Rajoy of People's party expected to unseat Socialists and make Spain the third Euro country to change leader Mariano Rajoy is expected to win the premiership on his third attempt. Photograph: Jorge Guerrero/AFP/Getty Images Nicholas Watt , chief political correspondent Friday 18 November 2011 14.50 EST First published on Friday 18 November 2011 14.50 EST Close This article is 5 years old Spain's veteran conservative leader, who appears to be on course to be elected as prime minister at his third attempt on Sunday, has expressed hope that financial markets will relax their pressure on Madrid. Mariano Rajoy , leader of the People's party (PP), spoke out as the interest on Spanish debt remained above 6% for a fifth day running, ahead of an election being carefully followed across Europe. "We hope this [pressure] stops and that people realise there's an election here and that the party that wins has the right to a minimum margin," the PP leader told Onda Cero radio in remarks reported by the Associated Press.

Elena Salgado, the Spanish finance minister, said investors were wrong to target Spain because its overall debt-to-GDP ratio of around 70% was manageable. "We are seeing systematic attacks on our sovereign debt," Salgado told Cadena Ser radio. "Today it is Spain , yesterday it was Italy, the day before that it could have been Belgium, and tomorrow it could be any other country." Rajoy, who first challenged for the premiership in 2004, is expected to unseat the Socialists on Sunday amid widespread unhappiness with José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who has announced he will stand down after the vote. The election in Spain is likely to mark a third change of prime minister in one of the four embattled southern EU countries – Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain – in the space of a few weeks. But Rajoy would be elected by the people, unlike Lucas Papademos and Mario Monti, the new technocratic prime ministers of Greece and Italy. Monti received a boost on Friday when the lower Chamber of Deputies in the Italian parliament overwhelmingly endorsed, by 556 votes to 61, his appointment as prime minister last Wednesday.

Monti won a similar vote in the senate on Thursday. The new prime minister, a former European commissioner, issued a strong warning of the dangers of failing to support his cabinet of fellow technocrats. "We think that if we do a good job, then you too, when you give us a vote of confidence or withdraw it, should remember what the consequences will be for citizens' confidence in you," he said. Monti hopes to present his austerity package to parliament soon. "The job that I have had the honour of receiving is nearly impossible, but we will succeed," he said. The Italian prime minister will travel to Brussels next week to outline to the European commission his initial plans to reassure the markets. On Thursday he will meet Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, in Strasbourg. Former prime minister says move to introduce financial transaction tax would fan flames of Euroscepticism Published: 18 Nov 2011 How Brexit affected Spain's election - LA Times How Brexit affected Spain's election Spain election Javier Lizon / European Pressphoto Agency Spanish acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy addresses supporters from Popular Party headquarters in Madrid after general elections results were announced Sunday.

Spanish acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy addresses supporters from Popular Party headquarters in Madrid after general elections results were announced Sunday. (Javier Lizon / European Pressphoto Agency) Lauren Frayer With markets in free fall after Britain's vote to leave the European Union , Spanish voters turned away from anti-establishment parties Sunday and endorsed the perceived safety and security of ruling conservatives. Europe has been watching Spain to see how anger at the status quo might play out in another EU country after “Brexit.” In recent weeks, a left-wing anti-establishment alliance called Unidos Podemos (Together We Can) had surged in opinion polls to become the No. 2 force in Spanish politics, behind the conservatives. Its slogan is 'Sí se puede' — Yes we can. But election results early Monday showed they couldn't. Unidos Podemos placed third, behind the two establishment parties, the Partido Popular, or Popular Party, and the Socialists. Though the conservative Popular Party won 33% of the vote and the most seats in parliament, it fell short of a majority, and coalition building will likely take months.

It needs to woo other parties to govern with it, but already by late Monday, the two most natural contenders, the center-right Ciudadanos, or Citizens, and the Socialists, both ruled out such support. Tricky negotiations will follow, and the Popular Party could be forced to replace Rajoy with another leader. This was the second Spanish election in six months, after a December poll ended in a virtual four-way tie and left the incumbent conservative, Mariano Rajoy, a lame duck prime minister — attending key summits in Brussels and presiding over government but unable to get any legislation through parliament. It's a position he's likely to continue in. The same parties won roughly the same proportion of votes, but the Popular Party gained 14 seats. Spain's Ibex stock index suffered a historic fall Friday, dropping 12.35% on news of Britain's vote to leave the EU. "Worst Session Ever," read the banner headline in a leading business daily. About €64 billion euros ($71 billion) was lost. Hours later, Rajoy told voters it was "no time for experiments" and urged them to choose the continuity of his conservative party.

Question: Mariano Rajoy became Prime Minister of which EU country in 2011?
Answer: SPAIN