In 2004 , a general election in Spain was scheduled for 14 March , which was not contested by Aznar , but by his successor as lead of the PP , Mariano Rajoy . On 11 March , the 2004 Madrid train bombings occurred , which killed 192 people . The attacks were perpetrated by al-Qaeda , but the government claimed the bombings were perpetrated by ETA . In the few days between the bombings and the election , the PP defended this position : however , a major sector of the population rejected the hypothesis that the attacks were perpetrated by ETA and believed the government was lying because of the bombings ' possible connection to Spanish support for the invasion of Iraq . This led to a massive drop in support for the PP in the days before the election , and the opposing PSOE 's José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero won the election
2004 Madrid train bombings
2004 Madrid train bombings
José María Aznar