From typicallyspanish.com
Spain Papers Review - Wednesday April 9 2008
By h.b.
Apr 9, 2008 - 9:47 AM
El Mundo says that Zapatero calls for ‘four years of calm’ and Rajoy says he is ‘disposed’ to form pacts. The paper says the Prime Minister offered ‘state agreements’ on the economy, regional financing, terrorism, justice and foreign policy.
He also warned however that he would apply an ‘exceptional remedy’ and change the law to renew the General Council for Judicial Power if consensus was not reached.
El Mundo notes Rajoy attacked Zapatero over the water crisis, but chose not to question him in ETA, Navarra or the State model.
El Mundo has a particularly Mr Bean-like photo of Zapatero after his speech on their front page today.
El País headlines that Zapatero put the economy at the centre of his speech and has formulated a crash plan to face two years of crisis. The paper says he proposed measures to extend mortgages and relocate unemployed construction workers. The Socialist leader announced a labour reform agreed with both employers and unions.
El País says that four pact are possible with the opposition and that Mariano Rajoy has agreed to talk, but has also shown a lack of confidence in Zapatero’s ideas.
ABC headlines that Zapatero has admitted mistakes and now offers pacts, but that Rajoy is demanding facts. ABC notes that the PP will vote against the investiture of Zapatero today.
The paper notes that Zapatero named España a total of 60 times in his speech. ABC’s picture though is of Mariano Rajoy, who was, the paper says, acclaimed by his group.
Público considers that Zapatero offered an open hand in the debate, proposing five state pacts, but that this was met with a lack of movement by Mariano Rajoy. Público says that Rajoy made a speech which was more moderate in appearance, but which kept the same hardness deep down. The paper says he was trying to please both the hawks and doves in the internal war taking place in the party.
El Mundo notes that the Partido Popular in Madrid is encouraging Esperanza Aguirre to present herself as an alternative candidate to lead the party at the party congress in Valencia in June.
El País also gives that front page space today.
Público has a special feature on alcoholism today, describing it as ‘the silent threat’.
El País has a special feature on the final bill of the Prestige oil tanker disaster. The paper says that the state is claiming 938 million € in damages.
ABC reports on the row over the raids on an abortion clinic. The paper says that the Ministry for the Interior allowed the attack against the Guardia Civil for investigating the Isadora clinic.
El Mundo reports that the widow of the Socialist senator, Enrique Casas, Bárbara Dührkop, thinks that the exhibition on the victims of terrorism which opens this Saturday in the Basque parliament ‘arrives late’.
In International stories:
El Mundo notes that Bagdad is ‘celebrating’ the fifth anniversary of its fall under a curfew. The paper has a special envoy, Javier Espinosa, in the city.
El País says that the USA Military Chief in Iraq has accused Iran of increasing the chaos.
El Mundo says that the IMF has said that the losses in the banking industry are now a billion dollars because of the crisis, and it has called for immediate action from the authorities.
And finally,
El Mundo notes that the European Championship football teams have to be inoculated against a nasty red insect which invades Switzerland and Austria in the summer and can spread Lyme’s Disease. ABC says that the insect means that Luis Aragonés will have to reveal the names of the players in the squad earlier than before. The speculation continues as to whether Raul will be included this time, or not.