MADRID – The new government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero called the next European elections Monday at the first cabinet meeting.

They set the date of the election for MEPs to the European parliament as 13 June.

The European election campaign will begin on 28 May and end 11 June.

Voters will have a day of reflection, in conjunction with Spanish electoral law, before they go to the polls on 13 June.

Apart from setting the date of the elections, almost all the new ministers took up their posts.
 
In a break with tradition, the ‘extraordinary’ meeting was called to set the election date, but the first cabinet is to sit on 23 April.

One of the main subjects for discussion at the next full meeting will be a new law to crack down on domestic violence.

Despite changes to the law last year, offering women more protection from aggressive husbands or boyfriends, there was a 30 percent rise in the number of attacks in 2003.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news