"A PRIME MINISTER CAUGHT ETWEEN THE UNIONS AND THE BOND MARKET".
"Muddle obscures message". "A prime minister caught between the unions and the bond market". "Slipping Zapatero", "11.02.2010."IT WAS the week Spanish Socialists, would rather forget. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Spain’s prime minister, began it on January 28th at the World Economic Forum in Davos where he found himself sharing a platform with the leaders of Europe’s lamest ducks, Greece and Latvia. Mr Zapatero had gone to Davos determined to instil confidence in his country, the only big developed economy still in recession. Instead, he raised more doubts, chiefly this one: is Mr Zapatero the man to lead Spain into recovery?", "At Davos he boldly announced proposals to raise the retirement age from 65 to 67. But that provoked fury from his trade union allies at home. Then his finance ministry sent a deficit-reduction plan to the European Commission". "Union anger, however, forced it to be watered down. Mr Zapatero’s