PP leader tells new office-holders to scale back on public spending

In his first news conference following the May 22 elections, Popular Party leader Mariano Rajoy said Wednesday he was introducing new rules for his party after its victorious nationwide sweep.

After meeting with PP regional leaders, Rajoy said he ordered party members who will take office to introduce austerity measures in their regions or communities, including sharing official vehicles. Rajoy asked the central Socialist government to put together a fiscal and financial policy council and call a meeting of all the regional leaders so that public spending limits can be set.

Earlier in the day, Rajoy and several PP officials, including Madrid regional premier Esperanza Aguirre, munched on cucumbers to assure the public they were safe. Deputy Prime Minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba said the government hasn't ruled out taking legal action against Hamburg health officials for announcing that the E. coli outbreak that has caused 16 deaths in Germany came from Spanish cucumbers.

The Health Ministry confirmed on Wednesday evening the European Commission had lifted the health alert on Almería cucumbers, stating all tests carried out had come back negative.