Spain's Zapatero wins second term[fr][de] 

Nearly 44% of voters backed Zapatero's party, giving the Socialists 169 seats in Parliament, according to the latest figures with 97% of votes counted. The conservative Popular Party won just over 40% of the vote and 154 seats in Parliament. Voter turnout was relatively high at over 75% of the population.

Much like in 2004, the close outcome of the election means that the Socialists are shy of an absolute majority and will need to compete with the conservatives to build coalitions with smaller parties in Parliament. 

Many observers also see the outcome as a reminder of growing ideological and generational divisions within Spain. Socialist Party supporters tend to be younger and in favour of the prime minister's social and political liberalism, manifest in the legalisation of homosexual marriage and increased autonomy for Spanish regions like Catalonia and the Basque country.

But older and/or more conservative Spaniards are concerned that Zapatero is not doing enough to handle rapidly increasing levels of immigration from outside Europe and that his policies are leading the country into economic decline and a deterioration of traditional values.

Ideological debates aside, it is clear that Spain's growth has slowed, while inflation and unemployment are on the rise. 

Zapatero's critics argue that a lack of much-needed structural reforms is undermining the long-term health of Spain's economy, which economists say has become overly dependent on the construction sector. Some observers predict Zapatero will have more difficulty steering the country's economy during his second term in office.

In an incident reminiscent of the Madrid underground bombings that preceded and profoundly impacted upon the March 2004 elections, a city official and Socialist Party supporter was murdered on 8 March, allegedly by a member of the Basque separatist group ETA. It is unclear whether the killing had any direct impact on Sunday's voting.