SPANISH ELLECTIONS 2011: 

Conservatives Swept Into Power

Spain's right conservatives swept convincingly into power and into an economic diificult situation as voters suffering 21.5 percent unemployment punished the ruling Socialist government – the third time in as many weeks that Europe's debt crisis has finished with an administration.

The victory for Spain's Popular Party came just after financially troubled Greece and Italy saw their governments fall.

As thousands of cheering supporters waved red-and-yellow Spanish flags and blue-and-white Popular Party banners on a Madrid avenue outside party headquarters, future prime minister Mariano Rajoy called for Spaniards of all political stripes to work together to overcome the crisis – but terribly sounded like a warning for a country with an economy that has stopped growing.

"It is no secret to anyone that we are going to rule in the most delicate circumstances Spain has faced in 30 years," he said. "For me, there will be no enemies but unemployment, the deficit, excessive debt, economic stagnation and anything else that keeps our country in these critical circumstances."

But the 56-year old Rajoy gave no hints of how he will solve Spain's unemployment nightmare – with a much higher rate for young adults. So far, Rajoy has only promised tax cuts for small- and medium-size companies that make up more than 90 percent of all firms in Spain.