MUSCAT, 22 March 2004 — The people of Spain, and the rest of the world, watched, heard and followed, with pain and shock, the explosions at train stations in Madrid last week. The blasts killed and wounded a large number of people and caused huge material losses, raising rage not only in Spain but the world over.

The same week, Spain held general elections in which the Socialist Party, led by Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, won a landslide — a logical and expected outcome, of course. The Spanish voters sounded the death knell to the reign of the People’s Party and its leader Jose Maria Aznar.

The elections, no doubt, marked the dawn of a new era with prime minister-elect Zapatero at the helm. Zapatero is so keen on lending his ears to the voice of his people that it is not surprising he has already promised to change the face of Spain, effecting radical reforms.

The Socialist Party represents the hopes of the Spanish people to enhance the image of their country in the comity of nations, especially in the European Union.

The new Spanish leader has pledged to spare no efforts to meet the expectation of his people. The new government, based on just policies and guided by firm and fair positions on international events and issues is expected to take Spain to another bloc. That is, of course, based on the Spanish people’s conviction and their refusal to submit to the pressure exerted by the American administration.

The new government would not commit the kind of follies the previous government had got itself entangled in when Aznar, under tremendous pressure from the US administration, supported the war against Iraq and sent Spanish forces to Iraq in defiance of the will of the people of Spain.

We all remember how millions of Spanish people took to the streets in a wave of protests to condemn Aznar’s decision. The victory of the Socialist Party is the triumph of peace lovers. France and Germany have hailed the change of guard in Spain — and they could now count on another partner in the anti-war bloc.

Zapatero, on his part, has been quite unequivocal when he asserted that he would respect the will of the Spanish people and withdraw the 1,300-strong Spanish forces from Iraq. He has made it clear what he himself thinks about the war against Iraq: “This war is a disaster; the occupation of Iraq is a disaster; it caused nothing but violence. Consequences were expected and now we have actually got one.”

This statement has shaken the very pillars of the American-European alliance. The British government, according to statements attributed to its defense secretary, has now been forced to welcome the return of the UN to Iraq following the June 30, 2004 deadline for transfer of power.

Zapatero’s courageous stand was a shot in the arm for France and Germany, both of whom have defied the US right from day one of the war against Iraq.

The new Spanish decision also gives encouragement to the opponents of war in Italy, who took to the streets to urge Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to follow in Zapatero’s footsteps and withdraw Italian forces from Iraq, to step up efforts to give powers back to an elected Iraqi government and facilitate a bigger UN role in Iraq.

All this is an indication of the dawn of a new era for Spain — an era when it regains its strength and respect of the world, a world that always links Spain with justice and neutrality.

It is also an indication that Spain is set to make its presence felt in the European Union and other international organizations through just policies, effective participation, positive presence and comprehensive contribution — all in accordance with the will of the Spanish people.

Let the Spanish people enjoy this hour of glory, this change for the better and this dawn of a new era of prosperity. For sure, the Spanish people have reason to hold their heads high.

The statement of the prime minister-elect on withdrawal of Spanish forces from Iraq is proof of this respect. The people of Spain and those in the rest of the world have high hopes in the new government — a government that would lead Spain and the European Union to great heights of glory.

— Essa bin Mohammed Al-Zedjali is the editor in chief of The Times of Oman.