Zapatero keeps party and nation guessing on future

"It's all thought out," Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero told a group of international journalists regarding his future plans. "I know it's my responsibility to do what's best for Spain and for the Socialist Party [...] I know how and when I need to do things."

This is the most the Spanish leader would say about whether he will run for a third term in next year's elections, an issue that's been looming large on the country's political agenda. In recent weeks analysts have posited that Zapatero will step down in favor of his powerful deputy, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, with Defense Minister Carme Chacón also considered a possible candidate.

In a joint interview with Le Monde, Der Spiegel, Gazeta Wyborcza, The Guardian and EL PAÍS focusing on the challenges facing Europe, Zapatero dropped a few hints.

"Political and institutional stability, which is parliamentary stability, is crucial for the task that lies ahead on the economic front. And I am doing that job. The government will complete the term, and it will have sufficient support in parliament. And this is very good economic news," he said. A week ago, Zapatero suggested that unveiling his plans would draw attention away from the economy and make international markets even more jittery.

Yet uncertainty and discontent is how most regional party leaders described the state of affairs going into a Socialist federal committee meeting on Saturday. Until a few days ago, everyone assumed Zapatero would announce he would not run for office again, but now nobody is sure what to expect.