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A Spanish Leader Emerges as a Crusader for Austerity

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Castilla-La Mancha includes the region around Toledo, Spain. It has an unemployment rate of 27% for the 1st quarter of 2012, up 5.4% from 2011, faster than the increase of 3.1% to 24.4% for Spain. Estimates from the University Carlos III in Madrid show economic growth contracting with GDP decline at 3.1% annual rate by the end of June 2012 for Castilla La Mancha. Part of the problem was the lack of credible accounts by the previous administration. Unpaid bills to suppliers were not included in the accounts for the region. When Maria Dolores de Cospedal of the Partido Popular became the president in May 2011, these unpaid bills were discovered and led to the doubling of the region's budget deficit to 7.3% for 2011. Cospedal sees the austerity cuts she is making as a long term approach to preserve education and healthcare. In an interview with Sara Schaeffer Munoz of the WSJ she says reducing debt is the first priority, so that interest rate premiums on borrowing can be brought down. Debt for Castilla was 17.2% of GDP in 2011, according to the Bank of Spain, it was 16.6% in the first quarter of 2012, among the highest of Spain's regions Ms. Cospedal says she wants growth too, but insists that Spain cannot get growth as long as it is sinking in debt. Moody's Investors Service says Ms. Cospedal is strict in executing the budget- a new second hospital slated to be built for 150 million euros in Cuenca with population 56,000 was cancelled and other cuts are proceeding- and Moody's did not include Castilla in the downgrades of 7 Spanish regions in June 2012.

Maria Dolores de Cospedal, president of the Castilla-La Mancha region and Spain's struggle for "cleaned up accounts"

07/22/2010

A 27% unemployment rate and GDP declline at annual rate of 3.1% by June 2012 in Castilla-La Mancha create difficult conditions. Cospedal is the senior leader in the Partido Popular after prime minister Mariano Rajoy. She says she wants growth and employment, but her first priority is to have "cleaned up accounts" so that Spain's borrowing costs can be brought down. Lack of credible finances in the regions are a major problem in Spain recognized by all sides, but the drive to reestablish credibility comes at a time of rising unemployment.

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