Spanish PP chief of Galicia celebrates victory

The Spanish Popular Party (PP) president of Galicia, Alberto Feijoo onTuesday celebrated his victory, saying it was also a vote of confidence for the economic and labor reforms of the current government of Mariano Rajoy. "It is an enormous vote of confidence," he told Spanish national television in the morning, adding that "we are very happy, very satisfied and very proud of Galicia, because they have given us an enormous margin of confidence to continue with the objectives." Feijoo of the PP leader was re-elected as president of the region, which is also Rajoy's hometown, with an increased majority of 41 seats, three seats more than when his party won in 2009. Feijoo stressed that the victory in the traditional Popular Party stronghold may serve as a proof that Spanish citizens support Rajoy's austerity policies. "The people in Galicia have supported the fact that governing is not spending money, but being able to administer," he said. Recent opinion polls showed that Rajoy is losing support amid constant protests against his austerity measures deemed ineffective against a deepening recession. But the measures, including spending cuts in public services and successive tax hikes, have proved more effective in Galicia, which the PP has governed since 2009. Galicia has one of the lowest budget deficits among the country's debt-ridden 17 semi-autonomous regions. During the electoral campaign, Feijoo promised that Galicia would be the first region in the country to walk out of the economic crisis.