Spain’s Rajoy unveils plans for rapid economic reform

Mariano Rajoy, the Popular party leader who was due to take over as Spanish Prime Minister on the 21 December 2011, unveiled a programme of fiscal austerity and rapid reform that he hoped would eventually extract Spain from its economic and financial crisis.

Addressing parliament on the 19 December 2011 at the start of a two-day inauguration debate, Mr Rajoy outlined plans to cut the budget deficit, create jobs, clean up the banking system, eliminate bureaucracy and restore Spain’s battered international reputation.

Deutsche Welle, 19.12.11: Spain's prime minister-designate pledges tough economic reforms http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15612670,00.html

BBC News, 19.12.11: Spain PM Rajoy aims for big deficit cut http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16248432

El País, 19.12.11: Rajoy to raise pensions, cut deficit by 16.5bn euros and move holidays to Mondays http://www.elpais.com/articulo/english/Rajoy/to/raise/pensions/cut/deficit/by/165bn/euros/and/move/holidays/elpepueng/20111219elpeng_4/Ten

El País, 20.12.11: Rajoy sworn in as sixth PM in Spain's democratic era http://www.elpais.com/articulo/english/Rajoy/sworn/in/as/sixth/PM/in/Spain/s/democratic/era/elpepueng/20111220elpeng_2/Ten

ESO: Background information: Spain’s new government will ‘have to act quickly’ http://www.europeansources.info/record/spains-new-government-will-have-to-act-quickly/

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