Party Responsiveness and Governmental Responsibility: The Conflicting Roles of Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party Between 2008 and 2011
Keywords:
Spain, PSOE, Economic and Financial Crisis, European Union, Representation, Government Responsibility, Political PartiesAbstract
The aim of the article is to analyse the dramatic decline of voters’ support for Spanish Socialist Workers‘Party (PSOE), a long-term established political party, between 2008 and 2011 parliamentary elections. It focuses on the government policy of PSOE during the outbreak of economic and financial crisis and attributes the drop of support to the conflicting roles of PSOE as a representative of voters‘interests on the one hand and as the governing party with corresponding responsibility to the state and also to the international community on the other hand. Moreover, it links the decision-making on the national level to the supranational level. The austerity policy, pursued by PSOE in given period, was heavily influenced by the EU institutions, and made impossible to comply with the electoral promises, concentrated on the improvements in employment and social policy. The drop of support pursued the PSOE in 2011, 2015 and 2016 parliamentary elections. Therefore, the party is a case study of the decline of social democratic parties in Europe, however temporary in her case.
References
BEYME, K. VON (1985). Political Parties in Western Democracies. Aldershot: Gower, 1985, 444 pp.
CARDENAS, A. (2013). The Spanish Savings Bank Crisis: History, Causes and Responses. Working Paper Series WP13-003, Open University of Catalonia, 2013, 60 pp.
CLEMENS, B., KYRIAKI, N., REAL-DATO, J. (2018). Economic crisis and party responsiveness on the left–right dimension in the European Union. In: Party Politics. Vol. 1, No. 1, 2018. pp. 52-64.
CONTI, N., HUTTER, S., NANOU, K. (2018). Party Competition and Political Representation in Crisis: An Introductory Note. In: Party Politics, Vol. 24, No. 1, 2018, pp. 3-9.
CIS. (2004). Estudio 2559: Postelectoral Elecciones Generales y Autonómicas de Andalucía 2004. [online]. Available at: http://www.analisis.cis.es/cisdb.jsp. [1. 12. 2018].
CIS. (2008). Estudio 7708: Preelectoral y Postelectoral Elecciones Generales y Autonómicas de Andalucía 2008. [online]. Available at: http://www.analisis.cis.es/cisdb.jsp [1. 12. 2018].
CIS. (2011a). Estudio 7711: Preelectoral y Postelectoral Elecciones Generales 2011. [online]. Available at: http://www.analisis.cis.es/cisdb.jsp. [1. 12. 2018].
CIS. (2011b). Estudio 2920: Postelectoral Elecciones Generales 2011. Panel (2ª fase). [online]. Available at: http://www.analisis.cis.es/cisdb.jsp. [1. 12. 2018].
COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. (2009a). Council Recommendation to Spain with a view to bringing an end to the situation of an excessive government deficit. 7904/09. [online]. Available at: http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-7904-2009-INIT/en/pdf. [18. 12. 2018].
COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (2009b). Council Recommendation to Spain with a view to bringing an end to the situation of an excessive government deficit. 15764/09. [online]. Available at: http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-15764-2009-INIT/en/pdf. [18. 12. 2018].
CHARALAMBOUS, G., CONTI, N., PEDRAZZANI, A. (2018). The political contestation of European integration in Southern Europe: Friction among and within parties. In: Party Politics. Vol. 24, No. 1, 2018, pp. 39–51.
DIAMOND, L., GUNTHER, R. (2001). Political Parties and Democracy. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001, 392 pp.
LA MONCLOA, (2008). El Gobierno completa el plan para estimular la economía y el empleo. [online]. Available at: http://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/consejodeministros/resumenes/Paginas/2008/281108-Consejo.aspx?galv2r=9&gal1er=8. [12. 10. 2018].
EL MUNDO. (2012). El Nobel Stiglitz advierte de que pedir el rescate sería un suicidio para España. Available at: https://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2012/09/15/economia/1347700985.html/. [18. 5. 2018].
ELECTIONGUIDE. (2019). Elections. [online]. Available at: http://www.electionguide.org/. [14. 1. 2019].
EUROPEAN COMMISSION. (2009a). Report from the Commission. Spain. Report prepared in accordance with Article 104(3) of the Treaty. SEC(2009) 198 final. [online]. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/economic_governance/sgp/pdf/30_edps/104-03/2009-02-18_es_104-3_en.pdf. [17. 12. 2018].
EUROPEAN COMMISSION. (2009b). Opinion on the existence of an excessive deficit in Spain. SEC(2009) 560 final. [online]. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/economic_governance/sgp/pdf/30_edps/104-05/2009-03-24_es_104-5_en.pdf. [17. 12. 2018].
EUROPEAN COMMISSION. (2009c). Recommendation for a Council Recommendation to Spain with a view to bringing an end to the situation of an excessive government deficit. SEC(2009) 562 final. [online]. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/economic_governance/sgp/pdf/30_edps/104-07_commission/2009-03-24_es_104-7_commission_en.pdf. [17. 12. 2018].
EUROPEAN COMMISSION. (2009d). Recommendation for a Council Recommendation to Spain with a view to bringing an end to the situation of an excessive government deficit. SEC(2009) 1553 final. [online]. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/economic_governance/sgp/pdf/30_edps/104-07_commission/2009-11-11_es_104-7_commission_en.pdf. [17. 12. 2018].
EUROPEAN COMMISSION. (2010). Communication from the Commission to the Council. Assessment of the action taken by Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia and Slovakia in response to the Council Recommendations of 2 December 2009 with a view to bringing an end to the situation of excessive government deficit. COM/2010/0329 final. [online]. Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52010DC0329. [18. 12. 2018].
EUROPEAN COMMISSION. (2012). Commission Staff Working Document. Analysis by the Commission services of the budgetary situation in Spain following the adoption of the Council Recommendation to Spain of 2 December 2009 with a view to bringing an end to the situation of an excessive government deficit. SWD(2012) 215 final. [online]. Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52012SC0215. [18. 12. 2018].
EUROPEAN COMMISSION. (non dated). Financial assistance to Spain. [online]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/economic-and-fiscal-policy-coordination/eu-financial-assistance/which-eu-countries-have-received-assistance/financial-assistance-spain_en. [14. 1. 2019].
EUROSTAT. (2019a). General government gross debt (EDP concept), consolidated - annual data. [on-line]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tipsgo10/default/table?lang=en. [2. 7. 2019].
EUROSTAT. (2019b). Government deficit/surplus, debt and associated data. [online]. Available at: http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=gov_10dd_edpt1&lang=en. [2. 7. 2019].
EUROSTAT. (2019c). Real GDP growth rate – volume. [online]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tec00115/default/table?lang=en. [2. 7. 2019].
EUROSTAT (2019d). Unemployment rate - quarterly data, seasonally adjusted. [online]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tipsun30/default/table?lang=en. [2. 7. 2019].
FIALA, P., STRMISKA, M. (2009). Teorie politických stran. Brno: Barrister&Principal, 2009, 266 pp.
FREIRE, A., LISI, M. (2016). Political parties, citizens and the economic crisis: the evolution of Southern European democracies. In: Portuguese Journal of Social Science. Vol. 15, No. 2, 2016, pp. 153-171.
FLINDERS, M. (2009). Bridging The Gap: Revitalising Politics And The Politics Of Public Expectations. In: Paper to be given at the Department of Politics, University of Newcastle, 11 March 2009. [online]. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249035322_Bridging_the_gap_Revitalising_politics_and_the_politics_of_public_expectations. [15. 5. 2018].
HOPKIN, J. (2005). Spain: Proportional Representation with Majoritarian Outcomes. In: GALLAGHER, M., MITCHELL, P. (ed.), The Politics of Electoral Systems. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005, pp. 375-394.
IGNAZI, P. (1996). The crisis of parties and the rise of new political parties. In: Party Politics. Vol. 4, No. 2, 1996, pp. 549-566.
IMF. (2012). Spain: The Reform of Spanish Savings Banks Technical Notes. IMF Country Report No. 12/141. [online]. Available at: https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/scr/2012/cr12141.pdf. [26. 6. 2019].
LAWSON, K., POGUNTKE, T. (eds.). (2004). How Political Parties Respond: Interest Aggregation Revisited. Abingdon, New York: Routledge, 2004. 280 pp.
BOE, (2008). Ley 2/2008, de 23 de diciembre, de Presupuestos Generales del Estado para el año 2009. In: Boletín Oficial del Estado. [online]. Available at: https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-2008-20744. [8. 1. 2019].
BOE, (2009). Ley 26/2009, de 23 de diciembre, de Presupuestos Generales del Estado para el año 2010. In: Boletín Oficial del Estado. [online]. Available at: https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-2009-20765. [8. 1. 2019].
BOE. (2010a). Ley 39/2010, de 22 de diciembre, de Presupuestos Generales del Estado para el año 2011. In: Boletín Oficial del Estado. [online]. Available at: https://www.boe.es/buscar/pdf/2010/BOE-A-2010-19703-consolidado.pdf. [10. 1. 2019].
MAIR, P. (1984). Party Politics in Contemporary Europe: A Challenge to Party. In: West European Politics, Vol. 7, No. 4, 1984, pp. 170-184.
MAIR, P. (2011). Bini Smaghi vs. the parties: Representative government and institutional constraints. In: EUI Working Paper, No. 22, 2011, 28 pp.
MINISTERIO DEL INTERIOR. (2017). Las Elecciones Generales en España 1977-2016. Gobierno de España: Ministerio del Interior, 2017, 266 pp.
MINISTERIO DEL INTERIOR. (non-dated). Elecciones Generales 2011. [online]. Available at: http://elecciones.mir.es/resultadosgenerales2011/ini99v.htm. [10. 10. 2019].
ORTEGA, E., PEÑALOSA, J. (2012). Claves de la crisis económica española y retos para crecer en la UEM. In: Documentos Ocasionales, Banco de España, No. 1201, 2012, 40 pp.
POGUNTKE, T. (2004). Do parties respond? Challenges to political parties and their consequences. In: LAWSON, K., POGUNTKE, T. (eds.), How Political Parties Respond: Interest Aggregation Revisited. Abingdon, New York: Routledge, 2004, pp. 1-14.
PSOE. (2008). Motivos para creer. Programa electoral. Elecciones generales 2008. [online]. Available at: https://www.psoe.es/actualidad/noticias-actualidad/programa-electoral-2008--17085/. [18. 5. 2018].
BOE. (2010b). Real Decreto-ley 8/2010, de 20 de mayo, por el que se adoptan medidas extraordinarias para la reducción del déficit público. In: Boletín Oficial del Estado. [online]. Available at: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2010-8228. [8. 1. 2019].
BOE. (2011). Reforma del artículo 135 de la Constitución Española, de 27 de septiembre de 2011. In: Boletín Oficial del Estado. [online]. Available at: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2011-15210. [12. 1. 2019].
RUIZ, J. R., STUPARIU, P., VILARIÑO, A. (2016). The crisis of Spanish savings banks. In: Cambridge Journal of Economics, Vol. 40, No. 6, 2016, pp. 1455–1477.
RTVE.es (2011). Las leyes aprobadas por Zapatero...y las que han quedado en el cajón. [online]. Available at: http://www.rtve.es/noticias/20110922/zapatero-hecho-dejado-pendiente/462767.shtml. [12. 10. 2018].
RTVE.es (2010s). El Gobierno bajará un 5% de media el sueldo a los funcionarios en 2010 y los congelará en 2011. [online]. Available at: http://www.rtve.es/noticias/20100512/gobierno-bajara-5-media-sueldo-funcionarios-2010-congelara-2011/330985.shtml. [12. 10. 2018].
RTVE.es (2010b). Los Presupuestos de 2011, en cifras. [online]. Available at: http://www.rtve.es/noticias/20100924/presupuestos-2011-cifras/356548.shtml [12. 10. 2018].
Stability Programme Update 2009-2013. (2010). [online]. Available at:. http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/economic_governance/sgp/pdf/20_scps/2009-10/01_programme/es_2010-02-01_sp_en.pdf. [18. 12. 2018].
ZAPATERO RODRÍGUEZ, J. L. (2008a). Discurso de investidura de José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Congreso de los Diputados. In: La Moncloa. [online]. Available at: http://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/presidente/presidentes/investiduras/Paginas/08042008_InvestZapatero.aspx. [20. 5. 2018].
ZAPATERO RODRÍGUEZ, J. L. (2008b). Discurso del Presidente del Gobierno en la continuación de la sesión de investidura a la Presidencia del Gobierno, Congreso de los Diputados. In: La Moncloa. [online]. Available at: http://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/presidente/intervenciones/Paginas/2008/prsp20080411.aspx. [20. 5. 2018].
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Please, read licence agreement.
Publication Charge
There is no publication fee or charge for any submitted or accepted articles. There is no article processing charges (APCs) would be billed to authors.