Spain and the ‘Portuguese syndrome’ | Opinion

Until recently, the Iberian Peninsula was the Astérix gala village, the last bulwark of a social democracy that was in retired throughout Europe. After the last elections in the Portugal after the leadership of António Costa, our neighbor has been infected, however, by the dominant wave in most democratic countries and It has been inclined mostly to the right. Socialists have suffered humiliation, in addition, almost tie with Chega, The ultra -right party. Something like this is not predictable in Spain. In all polls the PSOE is still strong enough as not to suffer a similar collapse. But what is about to see, and that is the issue, is if it would be able to stay in power, if our country will not be dragged by The almost irresistible conservative rush We see everywhere.

There is an obvious thing: each country has its own political traditions or peculiarities, although none is immune at the same time to the influences that come from abroad. Canada and Australia, for example, They voted being clearly the negative model of Trump’s policies. But if electoral volatility is today at the age of day, it is not because of a contagion effect, but because all democratic systems must face a common enemy: distrust in established policy. This is the fuel that moves populisms, while constituting the greatest slab that weighs on those who exercise power. « One of the functions of politicians is to disappoint us, » said Julian Barnes, as if it were an uninluctable law. If, the truth is that it always affects more to incumbentto the government holder, but the opposition is not fought either.

If we transfer this idea to the Spanish case, what is observed is that the opposition looks more at the deterioration of the government than to its own erosion. It is assumed that a mere call for elections will suffice to access almost automatically to power. Or, what is the same, that The alleged degradation of the adversary He will lead to him, demanding little more than the proper dose of primary confrontation. Probably, he also believes that the cycle we were talking about before will place Feijóo in La Moncloa for something like a design of the European political context. As he had the opportunity to experiment after the last legislative elections, this is not so simple. Mazón continues to rule in the Valencian Community, and we ignore what their commitments to citizens are regarding many of the imputations made to Sánchez. For example, regarding the necessary regeneration of institutions. Okay, you have to get rid of their partisan colonization, but what would you commit to them once in power? What is the plan?

Then it is Your relationship with Vox, Maybe the greatest spine. If you will need, as is the case now, how far is it willing to arrive in your possible concessions to govern? Tell it, because other fierce criticisms of Sanchez come precisely from their « changes of opinion » regarding those who are now their allies. What will be your red lines in this regard? And we could continue referring to any of the subjects on which they exercise their criticism. I imagine this will be The function of the PP Congress Convened for July this year. In theory to « prepare it » facing eventual elections. Implicitly, then, because Feijóo is aware that he is not, we ignore what his programmatic objectives are as much as the bench you have. Indeed, power never comes because yes, even less for mere osmosis with our dear neighbor.