three carefully-rigged government.
no thoughe Forty cent voted . only one dally paper Madrid's radical Fi Pais - supported them along with only one small and divided parliamentary parthis , the Communists.
vote greatly clarified both Spanish and politics. The Eurosocialists' have scored a real coup, but exposed their project's implications.
The 'nơ' and 'yes' campaigns brought alancer broad coalition of peace OLDS the LWO union federations and the left parties outside the Socialist opposed NATO. The great majority of- Socialist supporters must have voted no' to reach 40 per cent.
On the 'yes' side, Gon• bourgeoisie than. parties. He was widely expected to lose because the SPAIN'S PRIME minister Felipe Gonzalez has won the USA backed Franco. the NATO referendum, to Reagan's delight. In a 60 per cent turnout, just over 53 per cent voted 'yes' to questions set by right wing Alianza Popular (AP) party called on its supporters to abstain. He WOl because he persuaded AP's voters disregard their leadership.
Gonzalez' victory highlights the close links between the Common Market's econome military role. On the eve of the poll a grouD of Al bankers publicly renounc ed their party's abstention call. Without NATO, they said, Spain would frozen out of the EEC's key economic decisions.
A second argument influenced voters. Being part of NATO, it was would mean being 'Europe and helping counter US influence. This argument was important because the peoples of the spause state nave reserves of anti-Franco feeling, and remember that.
Thẻ carefully-phrased ballot did but called the membership of the Atlantic Alliance - whatever that means NATO's military mand.
Unless Spain Europe, said socialists it would have to to face the USA alone. These arguments are of a kind with the position of Mitterrand in rrance nock, Owen and Heseltine Craxi and Schmidt of the German socialists. They pose strengthening ope's military within NATO as a counte to US military hegemony.
Gonzalez' argument is demonstrably false.
Spain's entry into
wal challenging policy objectives, why was said, welcomed with in relief by the US ministration? Moreover, if he had removed US base or if European socialists, basing themselves on the great huge anti-missile ment, had prevented cruise for . outside comjoined the Kinin Italy, Eurweight Reagan and Gonzalez regardless of NATO directives, who can doubt that it towards would Blow bo near aar have foreign greater warmongering than any such amount military coordination?
Finally
movemadness.
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Socialist Action 21 March 1986