SPAIN SUFFERS

By Jason Moore SPANISH Prime Minister, Rodriguez Zapatero, has been attacked by former PM Felipe Gonzalez over his handling of the economy. Gonzalez, a socialist who led Spain through crucial times during the 1980s, has said that Zapatero is not getting his message across and also he is deeply concerned about the unemployment rate which could reach the four million mark next year. Gonzalez has also said that he feels that the economic slowdown appears to have caught the government unaware. I think Gonzalez is right; there are now almost three million unemployed and I think if the figure reaches four million it will be a nightmare. What Zapatero should be trying to do is trying to halt the alarming rise in unemployment by living-up to his election promise to build more cheap housing. The Spanish economy is built around the construction and tourism industries both of which are suffering. Zapatero needs to help the building industry to get back to work and also try and boost tourism during the winter months. If he is even marginally successful on these fronts then he will go a long way in solving some of Spain´s problems. If he does nothing then Spain could be in for a very long economic slowdown.