Spain’s economic decline is quickly turning into a political crisis for prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who has been called before the national Congress next week to explain what he plans to do about it.

In a move with few precedents, all the country’s political parties – except Mr Zapatero’s own socialists – have rounded on the prime minister as a fresh batch of data this week added weight to even the most pessimistic outlook for the economy.