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The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (Spanish: Partido Socialista Obrero Español [parˈtiðo soθjaˈlista oˈβrero espaˈɲol]  listen (help·info); PSOE [peˈsoe]  listen (help·info) ) is a social-democratic^[1] political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in 1833.^{[citation needed]}

The PSOE has had strong ties with the General Union of Workers (UGT), a Spanish trade union. For decades, UGT membership was a requirement for PSOE membership. During the 1980s, though, UGT criticised the economic policies of the PSOE, even calling for a general strike on December 14, 1988.^[2]

The PSOE recently lost the general elections on 20 November 2011. The PSOE is a full member of the Party of European Socialists and the Socialist International.^[2] In the European Parliament, the PSOE's 21 MEPs sit in the Socialists and Democrats European parliamentary group.

Ideology[link]

The PSOE was founded with the purpose of representing the interests of the working class born from the Industrial Revolution with the declared objective of achieving socialism, and inspired by the revolutionary principles of Marxism.

After the 1979 extraordinary congress, the PSOE renounced Marxism as its main ideology, becoming a social-democratic party. Currently, the party has moved away from left-wing politics, adopting a Third Way approach and supporting free-market policies, including reforms to curtail the Spanish welfare state.

Early history (1879 - 1974)[link]

Casa Labra Pub

The PSOE was founded on May 2, 1879 in the Casa Labra Pub (city of Madrid) by the historical Spanish workers' leader Pablo Iglesias.^[2] The first program of the new political party was passed in an assembly of 40 people, on July 20 of that same year. Although the PSOE was rather weak during the late 19th century, its active participation in strikes from 1899 to 1902 and especially its electoral coalition with the main Republican parties led in 1910 to the election of Pablo Iglesias as the first Socialist representative in the Spanish Cortes.

The party was a member of the Labour and Socialist International between 1923 and 1940.^[3]

PSOE formed part of the Spanish government during the Second Spanish Republic and as part of the Spanish Popular Front, elected to government in February 1936. During the civil war years, PSOE was divided into three wings: a leftist revolutionary Marxist wing, led by Francisco Largo Caballero that advocated dictatorship of the proletariat, nationalization of every industry, and total redistribution of land; a moderate, social-democratic faction,^{[citation needed]} led by Indalecio Prieto; and a reformist one, led by Julian Besteiro.^[2]

The dictator Francisco Franco banned the PSOE in 1939, and the party was legalised again in 1977. During Franco's rule members of the PSOE was persecuted, with many leaders, members and supporters being imprisoned or exiled and even executed.^[2]

Modern history (1974 - present day)[link]

Its 25th Congress was held in Toulouse in August 1972. In 1974 at its 26th Congress in Suresnes, Felipe González was elected Secretary General, replacing Rodolfo Llopis Ferrándiz. González was from the "reform" wing of the party, and his victory signaled a defeat for the historic and veteran wing of the Party. The direction of the party shifted from the exiles to the young people in Spain who hadn't fought the war.^[2]

Llopis led a schism to form the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (historic) González showed intentions to move the party away from its Marxist and socialist background, turning the PSOE into a social-democratic party, similar to those of the rest of western Europe. In 1977 PSOE became the official opposition party with 29.2% of the vote and 118 seats in the Parliament. Their standing was further boosted in 1978 when the 6 deputies of the Popular Socialist Party agreed to merge with the party.

In their 27th congress in May 1979 González resigned because the party would not abandon its Marxist character. In September the extraordinary 28th congress was called in which González was re-elected when the party agreed to move away from Marxism. European social-democratic parties supported González's stand, and the Social Democratic Party of Germany granted them money. The PSOE party symbol was changed from the anvil with the book to the social-democratic rose in the fist, as used by the French Socialist Party. In the referendum of 1978, PSOE supported the Spanish Constitution, which was approved. In the 1979 Spanish general election the PSOE gained 30.5% of the vote and 121 seats, remaining the main opposition party.

At the 28 October 1982 Spanish general election, the PSOE was victorious, with 48.5% of the vote (10,000,000 total). Felipe González became Prime Minister of Spain on 2 December, a position he held until March 1996.

Though the party had previously opposed NATO, after reaching the government most party leaders supported keeping Spain inside the organisation. The González administration organised a referendum on the question in 1986, calling for a favourable vote, and won. The administration was criticised for avoiding the official names of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and NATO, using the unofficial Atlantic Alliance terms. A symbol of this U-turn is Javier Solana who campaigned against NATO but ended up years later as its Secretary General.

PSOE Supported the United States in the Gulf War (1991). The PSOE won the 1986, 1989 and 1993 general elections.

Economic crisis, {Citation needed|date=August 2008}} and state terrorism^{[citation needed]} (GAL) against the violent separatist group ETA eroded the popularity of Felipe González, and in 1996, the PSOE lost the elections to the conservative People's Party (PP). Between 1996 and 2001 the PSOE weathered a crisis, with Gonzalez resigning in 1997. The PSOE suffered a heavy defeat in 2000 (34.7%).

The PSOE remained as the ruling party in the autonomous communities of Andalusia, Extremadura, Castilla-La Mancha and Asturias.

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero

In 2001, a new general secretary, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (also known as ZP), was elected, renewing the party. Later, the PSOE won the municipal elections of 2003.

PSOE strongly opposed to the Iraq War, which was supported by the PP.

On 13 November 2003 the PSOE (Socialist Party of Catalonia, PSC) increased its vote total but scored second in the regional election in Catalonia, after Convergence and Union. After a period of negotiations, the party formed a pact with Republican Left of Catalonia, Initiative for Catalonia Greens and the United and Alternative Left, and have governed in Catalonia since then.

On 14 March 2004, the PSOE won the 2004 Spanish general election with almost 43% of the votes, following the 11-M terrorist (March 11) attacks, and maintained their lead in the elections to the European Parliament.

In 2005, PSOE called for a Yes vote on the European Constitution. It has since PSOE also favoured the negotiations between the government and ETA during the 2006 cease-fire, which de-facto ended with the Barajas Airport terrorist attack.

On 9 March 2008 the PSOE won the 2008 Spanish general elections again with José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero remaining Prime Minister of Spain. The Socialists increased their share of seats in the Congress of Deputies from 164 to 169 after the latest election.

However, after waning popularity throughout their second term, mainly due to their handling of the worsening economic climate in Spain in the aftermath of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, the PSOE were defeated in the general elections of November 2011,

Electoral history[link]

Terms[link]

• Baron: Unofficial term for the party's regional leaders. They can be very powerful, especially if they run an autonomous community. There have been conflicts between barons and the central directorate in the past. Some barons were Pasqual Maragall (Catalonia), who didn't run for re-election in 2006; Juan Carlos Rodríguez Ibarra (Extremadura), who didn't run for re-election in 2007; Manuel Chaves (Andalucia), who renounced Andalucia's presidency in 2009 to assume Third Vice Presidency of the Spanish Government; José Montilla (Catalonia), now opposition leader. The term barón is more colloquial than official, representing the great power regional leaders have in the party, but its falling in disuse since 2008.
• Compañero ("companion", "comrade"): A term of address among Socialists, analogous to the English comrade.
• Currents: There have been several internal groups within PSOE, based on personal or ideological affinities. Some of them have ended with separation from the PSOE. The failed trial of primary elections for PSOE candidates was an attempt to conciliate currents. Examples of currents are "Guerristas" (followers of Alfonso Guerra), "Renovadores" (renewers, right wing of the Party) or Izquierda Socialista (Socialist Left).

Notable members[link]

• Pablo Iglesias Posse
• Francisco Largo Caballero
• Rodolfo Llopis
• Indalecio Prieto
• Julián Besteiro
• Juan Negrín
• José María Barreda
• Tomás Meabe
• Cayetano Redondo Aceña
• Ramón Rubial
• Felipe González
• Alfonso Guerra
• José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
• Javier Solana
• Joaquin Almunia
• Josep Borrell
• Manuel Chaves González

See also[link]

• Politics of Spain
• List of political parties in Spain

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site
• PSOE - Washington D.C.

v t e Political parties in Spain National parties in the Cortes Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE, associated: PSC) People's Party (PP) United Left PCE EUiA EB Union, Progress and Democracy Regional parties in the Cortes Convergence and Union CDC UDC Amaiur Aralar EA Basque Nationalist Party Republican Left of Catalonia Initiative for Catalonia Greens Galician Nationalist Bloc Canarian Coalition Chunta Aragonesista Coalició Compromís BLOC IdPV Asturian Forum Navarrese People's Union Geroa Bai Other parties in regional parliaments Regionalist Party of Cantabria Leonese People's Union Catalan Solidarity for Independence Citizens – Party of the Citizenry Majorca Socialist Party Bildu Riojan Party Politics portal List of political parties Politics of Spain

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