Well, still using my inadequate Spanish, El Pais is calling the Spanish election for the Socialists. BBC is reporting that the Socialists will likely win.
This is a defeat for the Bush Administration which, through clumsy diplomacy, has now ensured hostile governments in both Germany and Spain. The Socialist candidate has pledged to withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq by the end of the summer without a United Nations mandate.
Few foreign leaders are going to be willing to take risks, on behalf of the President, in the war on terror given the obvious electoral benefits from standing up to Bush. I think this is an excellent illustration of how Bush’s feckless and arrogant foreign policy undermines our influence around the world.