Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has blamed the sour economy for his party's defeat at the hands of opposition conservatives in Sunday's local elections. Final results show the conservatives winning almost 38 percent of the vote to 28 per cent for the ruling Socialists. The Socialists lost the cities of Barcelona and Seville where they traditionally do very well. After the vote, a glum Mr. Zapatero said voters expressed their discontent with an economy in shambles and the European Union's highest unemployment rate 21.3 per cent. The prime minister said he has no plans to hold early national elections. He promised to pursue economic reforms to create jobs. Meanwhile, thousands of Spaniards defied a government ban on demonstrations and continued protesting unemployment and the weak economy on Sunday. Police have not intervened to stop the nationwide demonstrations.