The electoral outcome was heavily influenced by the aftermath of the Madrid train bombings on 11 March , as a result of which all parties suspended their electoral campaigns . For two days following the attacks , the People 's Party ( PP ) government kept blaming the terrorist organization ETA for the bombings , even in spite of mounting evidence suggesting the involvement of Islamist groups . The government was accused of misinformation , as an Islamist attack would have been perceived as the direct result of Spain 's involvement in the Iraq War , which had been highly unpopular among the public
misinformation
Controversies about the 2004 Madrid train bombings
2004 Spanish general election