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By Jason Moore

TODAY, marks the end of eight years of rule of this country by Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. He was not standing for re-election in today´s general election, his own party decided that he had become too much of a liability with many in Spain blaming him for most of the country´s economic ills. Zapatero will not be leaving by the front-door he will be departing quietly through the back-door. The opinion polls suggest that it will be Mariano Rajoy of the Partido Popular who will replace him. Zapatero was obviously not totally responsible for the economic mess. It came from abroad but many believe, probably correctly, that he failed to react quickly enough to stem mass unemployment. Zapatero came to power in Spain in2003 shortly after the horrors of the Madrid train bombings. He quickly announced plans to withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq and appear to be a modern leader for a modern Spain. But history will remember him as the man who was in charge when the economy went into meltdown.