Spain's ruling Socialists defeated in Catalonia

AFP: Spain's ruling Socialists defeated in Catalonia: "Voters hammered Spain's ruling Socialists over a biting economic crisis Sunday, turfing them from power in Catalonia in a bad omen for national elections scheduled for 2012.
The result was a blow to the central government of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, battling market fears Spain could follow Greece and Ireland in seeking a humiliating EU bailout.
With 99.9 percent of ballots tallied, Catalans gave 62 seats to a moderate nationalist party, the Convergence and Union, six short of an outright majority in the 135-seat parliament, and just 28 to the Catalan Socialist Party.
It is the worst result in the 32-year history of the Catalan Socialist Party, which has ruled the wealthy northeastern region since 2003.
After the results were announced Jose Montilla announced that he would step down as the head of the party.
'Catalans have voted for change. This could be the beginning of a change that will come to the rest of Spain,' said the secretary general of the conservative Popular Party, the main opposition party at the national level."

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