Zapatero is always smiling (nothing can be taken out of this) and Rajoy scarcely smiles. Please, make more in-depth analysis of the political situation. You are paid for that. Attending a cocktail is a mean, not an end.

It will be more difficult now for Zapatero to make those deals with regional nationalist parties that have substantially reduced their number of seats due to their support. We are also into an economic crisis that will drain the cash he needs to pay for those deals (the way he has acted for the last 4 years)

The catalan conservatives interests, who are key for the governance, clash with the catalan socialists' who have increased their share and have been key to the success of their leader.

Of course socialists are happy for the victory but it is not going to be an easy task.

Zapatero is probably the worst president we have ever had. He tried to negotiate with the ETA terrorists a fire cease and ended up in political conversations with them. The country is getting one of the biggest unemployment number in the whole EEC and much worse than a few years back. The biggest companies and firms are going out of the country (mainly to the Eastern Europe). The economy is on crisis and the prices are rising at 4-5% level a year and he´s absolutely doing nothing. He has developed some social meassures (as the gay marriage and quite a few others including some control of the houses prices and mortgages) but appart of that all that he has left on this 4 years is a country worse in all aspects. I wonder where the country is going and I´m really worry about having Zapatero another 4 years more at our ¨white house¨. Really a sad sunday.

Fernando, I'm sorry but the worst was Mariano, and the people have said it.
That is what you "win" after four years of lying and attacking Catalonia and the Vasque country. Doing poor, next to nothing politics and trying to win by dividing the country.
They've lost and surely not by the merits of Zapatero but by their own faults. The sad thing is that they seem unable to see it.

"Really a sad sunday"? It was a great sunday for a plural and social Spain. For people who wants more centralism, ok, it was a sad sunday, and I´m glad for it.

Zapatero is a plague for Spain. His smile is always covering cynism and lie. How is possible for the spanish voters to forgive that mediocre politician such a long strip of errors and lies? He only achieved to divide seriously the country, while profiting and jeopardizing the good economic heritage. The worst is to come. I don't still understand why so many people continues to vote him. Spain has a problem of social and political pathology, perhaps due to the dictatorial heritage. It was really a sad sunday.

By not getting rid of Rajoy and his team, the conservatives are doomed to stay in opposition for four more years. Had they chosen Rato, Aguirre or Gallardon to lead the Party things would have been very different.

I think Zapatero has been a really bad PM, but I definitely don't want to see Rajoy in his place. Should the conservatives have nominated a different candidate to PM I would have voted for them. However, I felt compelled to not use my right to vote and stay at home since neither Zapatero or Rajoy did appeal me.

BTW Zapatero is a Prime Minister, not a President (even if it's usually called "Presidente del Gobierno" in Spanish). There's no such thing as a President in Spain, since it is a Constitutional Monarchy, just like UK.

yes a trully sad sunday for spain .as alover of spain and its culture, i, await to see how the next 4 years turn out,especially the government policiy on foreign immigrants.

I agree with the coment " Zapatero is the worst Prime Minister we have had". And to be honest, I dont really know what we can expect for the next four years, but its also fair to say, that a great part of the responsability of this is because there has been no oposition.

Zapatero is the worst Prime Minister we have had, and Mariano Rajoy is the worst Candidate we have had to, neither of them show the real image of how peope are in Spain.

Zapatero winning a second term is quite similar to what happened in the US in 1996. The voter re-elect someone whose greatest claim to a place in history is lying, cheating, doing nothing of any import and, in the US, being an all-around sleaze.

Zapatero's reelection evidences the absence of political culture in Spain, due in part to its historical background.
Unlike other european nations, Spain does not have much experience in democracy, and party candidates appear to be something they are not. Best of luck to this great country.

I am glad to read the informed Spanish citizens opinion in CNN comenting on a not very thourough political analysis about the post elections landscape in Spain. Unfortunatly many of us, informed, educated and open minded Spanish invidivuals must live abroad. Our beautiful country it is the place for complacency, mediocrity, lack of education, ethics and political conscience of any sort. Zapatero winning for the second time is the perfect reflection of the lack of information and education that reigns the country . This is the only reason why many of us live abroad and choose not so sunny days over a life inmersed in such mediocrity. Saludos a los q me comprenden !

Zapatero has been a great leader in the last 4 years. His social reforms have changed Spain, but also Europe. He's the most recognized leader for Spanish people according to all polls and surveys. Conservatives will never forgive him for his social reforms in everyone's benefit, especially for those who have always had less rights.

What was Obama thinking associating with Bill Richardson ? Richardson is just like Judas Iscariot,...he achieved his goal of media attention, but in exchange of what ?...