The problem is Spain is much greater because it was a very, very cheap country before the Euro came in 'massive difference in prices comparing then to now and it is not that long ago', much cheaper than France, Germany etc., prices shot up '66% overnight in some cases' and up as people from outside Spain 'and the Spanish' kept paying them... so middle men for example just kept putting their cuts up in a manner that could be classed as 'out of control' because there was so much demand and they are 'in the South anyway in general greedy businessmen. In fact I remember demonstrations in Barcelona where the growers actually drove their produce into the cities and gave it away free to bring attention to the fact that they where not being paid any more 'in fact in many cases less' while prices on the outlets where soaring 2 and 3 fold.
The reason most of the Spanish paid the prices was because there was a lot (and there still is) of black money in the economy but many Spanish have 'always' been complaining of the rise in living costs here, people who work in hostaleria and many stores where still on a low wage, generally it was the fact that there are two wages coming in that kept their heads above water and gave them a bit more spending... so now we have a very expensive county 'compaired to a very few years ago' and a population on very low wages 'many in the south still on 600 and 700 Euros a month'.

Now you have a population where most people are feeling the pinch and prices are still going up and taxes of course with more to come, as I have also mentioned before here I think the Spanish have seen nothing yet 'or very little', the big problems will really start kicking in now this winter, this is when people like Zappatero who keep saying the recession in Spain has had it's worst will be eating their words as they seem to be doing a lot of late.

BTW, many companies in Spain pay a wage and then a 'back hander', this is basically to save the company money because they pay less tax. This was and is still a normal practice in Spain, not something that a government offical would *not* know because it is just that... 'Normal practice here' that everyone who is Spanish or who has integrated into Spanish society knows about. I doubt there is any Supermarket chain or department store group that have changed this practice and the government know it, these places are saving massive amounts of money from this practice but the government don't do anything, they pick on the small companies and on individuals... either because they are scared to go there or because they have a vested interest in leaving them alone, I personally think they are scared to go there.

Oh and no, Zapatero hasn't lost the plot, he actually never knew there was one in the first place...