National
King Juan Carlos starts political contacts ahead of Zapatero investiture
By h.b.
Apr 2, 2008 - 7:42 AM

Today King Juan Carlos starts a round of political contacts in Spain ahead of the investiture of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero as Prime Minister.

Today the monarch meets with representatives from Nafarroa-Bai, Iniciativa per Catalunya, Unión, Progreso y Democracia, Izquierda Unida and Coalición Canaria. Tomorrow he goes on to meet the Galician Nationalists BNG, Catalan Republicans ERC, Basque Nationalists PNV and the Catalan coalition CiU. On Friday it will finally be the turn of Mariano Rajoy from the Partido Popular and the Socialist’s José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero to meet the monarch.

The parliamentary debate for the investiture gets underway on April 8.

Meanwhile the new President of Congress, elected on the second round of voting yesterday, José Bono, has said he intends to carry out his new job with ‘humility and accessible friendliness’.

VIDEOJosé Bono, new Preesident of Congress