Our hope is for victory in 2004

Our hope is for victory in 2004.” His words were prophetic, but few believed them.Then Jos?aria Aznar’s government mishandled the Prestige oil-tanker disaster, and dragged Spain into an unpopular war in Iraq. He joined at age 18 and, although he trained as a lawyer, only ever worked for the party. He still keeps a portrait of Gonzalez in his office.At 26 he was Spain’s youngest MP, and head of the party in the city of Leon. He established a reputation for conciliating warring factions and as a brilliant parliamentary speaker.

Quietly he built around him a new generation of Socialists, poised to inject fresh blood into a party drained of ideas, tainted with scandal.Following Mr Aznar’s landslide victory in 2000, Mr Zapatero galvanised his sagging party. The mild-mannered lawyer did not seek to exploit the train bombings that shook Madrid three days before the election, but he benefited when the voters decided to punish the Government for its handling of the bombing aftermath. Jos?uis Rodriguez Zapatero is the quiet man of Spanish politics. My feeling is that the election result has caused surprise but a lot of satisfaction in Europe. I think we can reach an agreement which will maintain the balance of power for an enlarged Europe.”Germany has said it will be flexible and, although an agreement is some way off, diplomats said the mood was optimistic. France’s Foreign Minister, Dominique de Villepin, said: “We must seize every chance to make Europe advance.

It is vital.”Next week the Irish presidency of the EU will decide whether to revive the talks.¿ European Union ministers will meet on Friday to discuss plans to help European countries hit by terror attacks, and to appoint an official to coordinate counter-terrorism moves.The meeting will pavethe way for a summit of EU leaders the following week, and discuss improved intelligence sharing and closer co-operation with non-EU nations.. But the UK hoped to fall back on more “reliable” alliances if necessary. Although the UK can look to Poland and several of the countries about to join the EU, its network of powerful allies is diminished.EU diplomats predicted that Spain’s new government is good news for the EU constitution. Mr Zapatero said he would work for a compromise on the issue. He said he would back a “double majority” voting system which gave more weight in EU decision-making to population size, in defence of the disproportionate votes Spain and Poland won in the 2000 Nice treaty.He said: “I want Europe to see us again as pro-European. Yesterday’s rejection of Mr Aznar at the ballot box marks the end of the premiers’ alliance with Italy’s centre-right leader, Silvio Berlusconi. Mr Aznar was to stand down but his successor would have been a potential ally for Mr Blair.Mr Blair had improved relations with Paris and Berlin.