Major protests expected in Spanish cities The demonstrations on Monday have been called by the main labour unions and dozens of social groups. They are to take place in 55 cities, with the largest turnout expected in capital Madrid where union leaders will head up a march. Cutbacks in health, education and pensions as well as labour and financial sector reforms have angered Spaniards and triggered protests by nearly every sector of society in recent years. The demonstrations are the first coordinated ones since unions staged a partially successful general strike on November 14, and come just hours after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi insisted austerity is the right approach in Spain. Mr Draghi, speaking to a committee of MEPs on Monday, said austerity was bound to bring contraction in the short term, but that government cuts and structural reforms were the route to growing exports, adding: "It's been a year of painful progress [for Spain], but it's still progress." Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy has insisted the country does not require a bail-out from international lenders, ignoring calls from national daily newspaper El Pais, which urged Mr Rajoy to request financial aid. The paper said any delay is "equivalent to condemning the Spanish economy to a prolonged and painful recession," but Mr Rajoy maintains the nation does not need it. However German chancellor Angela Merkel praised Mr Rajoy for his efforts to control the country's budget and shore up its banks. "I want Spain to have great success and I think especially since we've started the process of bank recapitalization, if you look at the interest rates, I think we've had success as far as Spain's concerned," she said, speaking to reporters on Monday. Spain, with 25 percent unemployment, is battling to reduce its deficit and emerge from its second recession in three years.