Election campaign like no other kicks off across the country

Official campaigning for the November 20 general elections was due to get underway at midnight on Thursday, allowing candidates to directly request votes at rallies up and down the land.

But it is already clear that this is not going to be any ordinary campaign. Against the background of poor economic data, the worst unemployment figures in 15 years, the Greek debt crisis and the threat of a return to recession, it is a blocked campaign, unable to move under its own steam. Whatever the candidates say or do in such conditions is unlikely to affect the dynamic very much.

What's more, with Popular Party (PP) leader Mariano Rajoy leading by 15 points in the polls and everything conspiring against Socialist Party candidate Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, the result already seems like a foregone conclusion. Back when the Socialists decided to bring forward the elections from March to November they thought the situation would have improved, while the PP were convinced they would win but without an absolute majority, taking power in the middle of a recovery, which would facilitate their tax-cutting platform.

Rajoy chose to begin his campaign, not in Madrid as is traditional, but in the town of Castelldefels, Catalonia, one of two regions - along with Andalusia - where the PP believes it can put in a strong showing.

Rubalcaba, who canceled a meeting on Wednesday night in Pamplona due to an ear infection, was in Alcalá de Henares in Madrid for the campaign kick-off, where he was joined by Socialist Party campaign director Elena Valenciano. Rubalcaba is expected to be supported in two events by former Socialist Party Prime Minister Felipe González and in just one by current Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero over the course of the campaign.

Rajoy is not expected to coincide with form PP Prime Minister José María Aznar, who will be running his own campaign roadshow.

The parties have agreed to reduce their campaign budgets from almost 50 million euros in 2008 to 41.6 million euros this time round. Of that, the PP will have 17.34 million; the Socialists 15.81 million; the United Left 3.8 million; the CiU Catalan nationalist bloc 2.55 millon; the ERC 1.27 million and the Basque Nationalist Party 807,500 euros.

And on top of everything else, the 15-M protest movement, which has rallies planned for Friday and Sunday, is another external factor that could influence the coming days' events.