You had elections in Spain a week ago. Are many of you dual-citizens so that you could vote in the Spanish national elections or does Spain even recognize a concept of dual-citizenship?

The socialists won the elction and Zapatero continues as PM. What are your thoughts on this? Does it make any difference to the expats which party leads Spain? The PP in Spain were campaigning on a more conservative agenda, so I'd think that for expats living in Spain under the socialists is probably more pleasant than living there under the rule of the conservatives. I could be wrong too.

Are there any differences in the policies of the two main-parties how to deal with foreigners living in Spain?

The laws governing elections are European ones.

As EU citizens resident in Spain we get to vote in municipal elections, but not generals, so while I have followed with interest I wasn't able to take part.

The government affects us 'Europeans' in certain ways. Like this current bollix with the residents cards (or lack thereof).
The PP and the PSOE have different policies regarding construction, building licences, land-grabs, demolition, expropriations and so on - perhaps more to do with where you happen to live rather than with any particular ideology.

Well the Nationalist Party lost seats so that can only be good for "foreigners".

Spain does not recognise dual nationality. If you take Spanish nationality you have to formally renounce your British citizenship. However, in the eyes of the British such renunciation is not recognised so, in effect, you have dual nationality.

My own opinion of Rodríguez (Zapatero), Chaves and the bunch of oligarchical clowns who are trying to destroy this country is well documented and, in common with many other people, I am living in dread of what will happen in the next four years (if they last that long!).

I do not think you are allowed to hold dual citizenship as a naturalised Spaniard but I am probably wrong.

I should always wait for Beach to pronounce beofre putting my foot in my mouth!

You do not have to renounce your nationality in order to obtain Spanish nationality if you are from Latin America, Andorra, Phillipines, Ecuatorial Guinea or Portugal.

Don't know about the oligarchical side but clowns definately.

I personally am very worried about what Spain might become under another 4 years of Zapatero. Zapatero has continually bought votes since his party was elected, I cringe every time I hear the things he comes out with and see his * full of it smile * on the box.

I won't say what I feel about the PSOE getting re-elected as the post might get deleted by the mods.

I often wonder because many people I know or talk to have similar political opinions to myself... but when an election come along the country votes totally the opposite way...

Econ, it does seem that some people got the message but, unfortunately, not quite enough. The PP vote in my area increased drastically and Málaga in general is now evenly divided between PP and PSOE whereas prior to the election it was 6 to 4 in favour of the latter.

Is it only me who thinks he looks like mr Bean???

Isn't Mr. Bean a comedy character? Well, now you come to mention it he not only looks like Mr. Bean...

Oh I am so pleased that some one else thinks the same as me, first time I saw him I thought it was Mr Bean, even my spanish friend agrees with me.

THR and other contributors.

Here's a link to a story written by Rafael Bardaji of the Strategic Studies Group.

BE FOREWARNED: It is written from a right wing slant, but a lot of his observations on the path ZP has taken Spain are not to far off the mark. Even if you are a ZP supporter - or traditionally left of centre - it is still worth the read, so long as you go into it knowing you're going to not like fair chunks of it.
http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=14339

Our local paper published in English an 8 page special on the Election (prior to the the vote) and this page taken from it below is particularly relevant to THR's original comments.

PP vote in teh Valencia region is far higher than the PSOE, in some areas well over 60% for PP:

That was an interesting article, thanks for posting it. The author clearly wasn't a great fan of Zapatero and the PSOE. However, they must have done something right, otherwise they wouldn't have won again.