Jose Maria Aznar

Aznar's government pursued a program of economic liberalization, including privatization of state-owned enterprises, labor market reforms, and tax cuts. These policies contributed to strong economic growth and reduced unemployment, but also increased income inequality.

Jose Maria Aznar led the People's Party (PP) to victory in the March 3, 1996 general election, defeating the incumbent PSOE. He formed a minority government with support from Catalan and Basque nationalists, ending 14 years of socialist rule.

Aznar's PP won an absolute majority in the March 12, 2000 general election, securing 183 seats. This allowed him to govern without relying on nationalist parties and implement a more conservative agenda, including tax cuts and privatization.

Aznar's government supported the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, despite widespread public opposition in Spain. He participated in the Azores Summit with Bush and Blair, committing Spanish troops to the coalition, which strained relations with France and Germany.

On March 11, 2004, Islamist terrorists bombed commuter trains in Madrid, killing 191 people. Aznar's government initially blamed ETA, but evidence pointed to Al-Qaeda. The handling of the attacks and the subsequent election loss on March 14 marked the end of his tenure.

Despite leading in polls before the 11-M attacks, Aznar's PP lost the March 14, 2004 general election to the PSOE led by Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. The defeat was widely attributed to public anger over the government's handling of the bombings and support for the Iraq War.