the center policies on the economy seem to keep the economy... for now...going

Ceck out this pearl by our Minister for Economy and Finance, Pedro Solbes (EU Coommissioner for Monetary Affairs under Prodi):

La Vanguardia: Pedro Solbes: "The State must also be autonomous and not depend on the Autonomous Communities" (2006 January 4)

Which is to say, despite the Spanish economic model not really pleasing anyone, it still keeps its resilience and appeal

Well, the current economic model is not sustainable in time. There are very strong imbalances that it is urgent to correct  y hay que hacerlo ahora que la situación económica va a seguir siendo de un crecimiento intenso en los próximos años. It is true that there has not been as radical a change as we expected, but there is a number of factors which have started to change. For example, interest rates not only will not go down, but they will increase. EU funding, which once represented more than 10 billion net for Spain, have begun to be cut. Massive immigration, which was the third great motor of the economy, has ended.

When will the model change?

We are going to keep working at increasing productivity and reducing protectionism, seeking more efficient markets and introducing greater competition in sector such as energy, telecommunications or services, among others. Moreover, we will work to achieve a more efficient Administration. One thing is clear, although the economy is going well, the current economic model is not sustainable in time.

It is a rare Economy or Finance minister that admits so candidly that the current economic model is unsustainable, twice in the same interview and without being cued by the interviewer. My respect for Solbes only increases: this guy is for real, all substance and no fluff.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman