And it's also producing a growth in debt to the United States that will weight very heavily in a country that has to address issues like having more old people to be covered by Social Security or by pension in the future.

On 12 March 2000 the PP won again this time with an absolute majority. In his second term he had to fend off various charges of incompatibility between his public office and his private business interests. He represented the area until 1989 and subsequently represented Madrid from 1989-2000.

Rodrigo de Rato y Figaredo (born 18 March 1949) is a Spanish political figure who served in the government of Spain as Minister of the Economy from 1996 to 2004; a member of the conservative People's Party (PP) he was also First Deputy Prime Minister from 2003 to 2004. He was president of Bankia between 3 December 2010 and 7 May 2012 until bankruptcy.