Ain't Gonna Happen

Yesterday, March 9th saw the the Municipale Elections across France. All the Mayors and many regional posts were up for grabs. The Elections here are a two tier system.
There is the premier tour and if there is no clear majority, especially with the multiple party system involved, the election will have a second tour a week later, with the two close candidates being voted on.
We saw last night as the returns came in a very definite turn around for the Socialist Party with the Conservatives losing ground even in some of the cities they have traditionally held since WW2. Lyon for example, a bastion of Conservatism, went to the Socialists in the First Tour. Remarkably, The Communist Party had a resurgence as they took Dieppe. Here in The Dordogne, which has a long Socialist history, Xavier Darcos, the Education Minister in the Sarkozy Government will probably lose to the Socialists in the Next tour. In the neighboring departement, The Correze, there was a solid Socialist victory. It was a resounding slap in the face to Sarkozy's Conservative Liberal Business and anti Human Rights Policies.
Many UMP candidates, as the UMP mayoral candidate here in our little town of Badefols d'Ans, tried to disassociate themselves from their party to be elected.

It was also the national Presidential Election in Spain. It was a bitterly fought contest as the conservatives tried to regain the power they lost in 2004 when Zapatero and his Socialist government won in the aftermath of the Madrid Bombings. The Catholic Church tried to sway the election.. The Catholic Church almost considers Spain as part of it's political power on Earth. They worked in close cooperation with the Franco Dictatorship and have much financial investment and property in Spain, unlike France which will not allow the Church to own property here.
Zapatero and the Socialists won and it was a huge victory, when all the votes are counted, they may have a clear majority, much more power than in the last election.
It is clear that The Socialists Policies are good for Spains economy and they enjoy the support of big business.
This is clearly in denial of what the American Conservative pundits have been saying about the decline of the Left in Europe since the days of Thatcher in Britain.
When Sarkozy was elected last year in France, the Conservative Press embraced him as the forefront of a wave of Conservativism that would surely sweep and unite Europe and sweep us all into a new era of Right Thinking Conservativism alligned with the Republicans in America, pliant and obedient to their will.......
Ain't Gonna Happen.