Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Spain's
former prime minister, says passing a gay marriage law is his
proudest achievement.
Mariano Rajoy and his conservative
Popular Party (PP) won control of Parliament in a landslide victory
last month as Spain shifted hard to the right while struggling under
piles of debt and sky-high unemployment.
The power shift could be the undoing of
the nation's gay marriage law, which was approved during the tenure
of the Socialist Zapatero. Rajoy has suggested he would “change”
the law and his party has filed a legal challenge based on technical
grounds.
In an interview with Diario
de Leon, Zapatero was asked what was his proudest
achievement.
“If I consider the degree of
recognition and gratitude I have received, then I think the gay
marriage law. Not a week goes by without someone reminding me,
thanking me … Yes, it's a decision that has left its mark,”
Zapatero answered.
Pope Benedict XVI had previously urged
Roman Catholics to oppose
Zapatero's Socialist government and its liberal reforms, which
include fast-track divorce and easier access to abortion.