José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the Spanish prime minister, fired the opening shot of his re-election campaign yesterday with a promise to give families €2,500 ($3,400, £1,700) for every child born in Spain.
With a general election eight months away, Mr Zapatero said the unprecedented offer underscored his commitment to progressive social policies. It is hoped the new incentive will raise the country's birth rate, which in spite of a big influx of young immigrants is one of the lowest in the world. Without a big rise, experts predict, there will be too few workers to support Spanish pensioners 20 years from now.
