▁fav ours ▁to ▁the ▁P P ' s ▁ch ances ▁of ▁being ▁re - elect ed . ▁The ▁P P ▁government ▁involved ▁Spain ▁in ▁the ▁Ira q ▁War , ▁a ▁policy ▁very ▁un pop ular ▁with ▁many ▁Sp ani ards . ▁Therefore , ▁if ▁a ▁link ▁between ▁the ▁bomb ings ▁and ▁the ▁Ira q ▁War ▁invol vement ▁were ▁established , ▁it ▁could ▁have ▁reduced ▁the ▁popular ity ▁of ▁the ▁P P . ▁ ▁Nation wide ▁demonstr ations ▁and ▁protest s ▁followed ▁the ▁attacks . ▁A ▁view ▁amongst ▁several ▁political ▁comment ators ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁P P ▁lost ▁the ▁election ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁handling ▁and ▁presentation ▁of ▁the ▁terror ist ▁attacks , ▁rather ▁than ▁specifically ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁Madrid ▁train ▁bomb ings .. ▁A ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁study ▁by ▁Jose ▁Mont al vo ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁Review ▁of ▁Econom ics ▁and ▁Statistics ▁reached ▁the ▁conclusion ▁that ▁terror ist ▁attack ▁had ▁important ▁elect oral ▁consequences ▁( turn ing ▁the ▁elect oral ▁outcome ▁against ▁the ▁inc umb ent ▁People ' s ▁Party ▁and ▁hand ing ▁government ▁over ▁to ▁the ▁Social ist ▁Party ▁( P SO E ). ▁ ▁After ▁ 2 1 ▁months ▁of ▁investigation , ▁judge ▁Juan ▁del ▁Ol mo ▁ruled ▁Mor oc can ▁national ▁Jam al ▁Z oug am ▁guilty ▁of ▁phys ically ▁carrying ▁out ▁the ▁attack . ▁The ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁sentence ▁established ▁no ▁known ▁master mind ▁nor ▁direct ▁al - Q a eda ▁link . ▁ ▁Acc ur acy ▁of ▁government ▁statements ▁The ▁conserv ative