Whereas the US Presidential hopefuls are combating each other amongst euphemisms such as Tsunami Tuesday and Super Sunday, here in Spain you would be forgiven for not noticing that the general elections are only a mere two months away. Although liberal opposition leader Mariano Rajoy and sitting Prime Minister Rodrigo Zapatero feature on the daily news flashes they have yet debated together in public, nor have there been any smear campaigns, or come to think of it, any campaign at all.As I promised some months ago, I would be writing a series on politics here in Spain. It has taken me some time to follow up this promise because I knew that my next article had to be about the Partido Popular (PP), the current right-wing opposition party. There are simply so many things wrong with this political movement that I just did not know where to start. So, let me begin to explain where this party began, for later discussing where it went wrong.
Trousers
Actually I have to correct myself here; the Partido Popular never went wrong. It began wrong. It was founded as the Aliaza Popular (AP) in 1976, by the former Franco government Propaganda and Tourism minister Manuel Fraga. This grumpy political hardliner only gave up political prominence in 2005 when he was defeated as president of the autonomous region of his native Galicia. Just one look at the man some people call the Fragasaurus, makes you understand why people don’t rate him as highly as his trousers rate him.
During Franco’s time he had been responsible for catapulting Spain’s tourism into stardom for which he is well respected. However, he has been heavily criticized for never really distancing himself from his pro-Franco comments. Whatever your view of him is, Fraga played a crucial role in Spain’s transition from dictatorship to democracy. As a political heavy-weight it was him who amongst others personally signed the constitution Spain still has today.
As Fraga failed to beat the Socialists in the 80s (lead by four-term Prime Minister Filipe Gonzalez) he in the end decided to hand over his leadership. After some internal battles Jose Maria Aznar became his successor. In doing so, one of the most despicable political leaders Europe has seen in its post-war years was introduced.
PP Government
Aznar’s star rose considerably and quickly. Within two years of joining the AP he was elected for parliament, followed by a stint as president of the autonomous region of Castile and Leon and ultimately he was elected as Party president (of the renamed Partido Popular). After losing out yet again to Gonzalez he – and the PP with him – finally got their revenge in 1996 when for the first time in Spain’s post-Franco history a right-wing party won the general elections against a PSOE crippled by alleged corruption charges.
Spain got what it voted for. I cannot comment too much on his eight year reign as I was not around, however Aznar’s legacy will forever – as Tony Blair’s – be linked to one theme: his decision to send Spanish troops to Iraq. Aznar was obsessed with aiding his new best friend George W. Bush, whereas other European continentals such as France and Germany frowned upon this seemingly idiotic show of ‘I want to be your pal’.
Kodak Moment
There is a joke here in Spain that Aznar chose to send his troops to Iraq just so that he could get a photo with George W. and Tony. This is exactly what he got when the three met in the Azores to seal the fate of country that has never been the same since. This country of course being…Spain.
Whilst Spain was getting ready to vote in their general elections four years ago it seemed certain that the PP would win a third successive term. This would have made present leader Rajoy Spain’s second right-wing president as Aznar, valiantly stepped aside claiming that a president should only be allowed to sit eight years “like in America”.
However, Al-Qaida thought otherwise and killed 192 people three days before the elections.
This event started a string of lies which has dominated domestic politics ever since. Interior Minister Miguel Ángel Acebes immediately appeared on the television claiming it was ETA who had carried out the attacks. He did so practically every 20 minutes for three days. With him the whole PP echoed that it was not Al-Qaida, but the Basque terrorists who were to blame for the March 11 bombings. It was in the interest of the PP that ETA was the guilty party as an Al-Qaida attack would point the bloody finger directly to the men who sent Spanish troops into foreign territory without the mandate of their people.Spaniards were not fooled and elected the rather surprised Rodrigo Zapatero who immediately pulled out Spanish troops, infuriating the United States.
Lesson
The defeated PP should have learned their lesson right there and then, but it didn’t. If in the Netherlands such an attempt of public deception had been made, it would have certainly meant the end of the political careers (and maybe even a jail term) of all of those involved. In stead Acebes remains Secretary General of the PP and will certainly hold a prominent position in government if the PP wins next March.
After everything what has happened the PP still uses terrorist threat for political gain. Whenever ETA strikes (it has happened twice in the past year) they organize a demonstration ‘for peace and stability of this country’ openly questioning why the PSOE does not join them.
Rajoy, Acebes, Aznar and their mates do not understand that this type of demonstrations (against terrorism) should not be politically coloured, but partisan. It is very dangerous to associated domestic terrorism with your political opponents. Dangerous and wrong.
It is these demonstrations which further anger me. The party has taken national symbols and made it their own. Spanish flags are massively represented and the National Anthem is played after the main speeches, followed by a loud ‘Viva España’. Again, dangerous and wrong.
Public Memory
Another topic of fierce discussion between the two main parties here in Spain is the new Law of Historic Memory. This new law goes against the agreement made during Spain’s Transition period (incidentally Spain’s most interesting piece of history) that to advance as quickly as possible all should be collectively forgotten in an attempt to secure a stable democracy.
At the time this certainly was a good idea. Spain would still be internally muddling if it was not for this decision. However, it is obvious that now is the time to start constructing the real truth, to find out what really happened during Franco’s years, to uncover the painful wounds left by those who at present still have everything to lose if reality comes out to play.
In the Independent you can read our friend Acebes commenting on this new law. It reads (click link for article):
“The PP said the initiative was "a huge mistake" that rakes up memories of the worst time in Spain's recent history. "Zapatero has brought division and confrontation, and reopened the wounds of the past," said Angel Acebes, the PP's general secretary.” The Independent adding that “The PP has never dissociated itself from Franco, and many members covertly admire him.”
In other words, the PP would prefer to just ‘forget’ what happened in those forty years of dictatorship, even after thirty years of stability. This is like explaining to a Holocaust survivor that he should stop making so much noise as it’s just better for the rest of us to turn our heads. It really is like this. Dangerous and wrong.
It is not just their terrorism focussed politics and their symbols. It is also their people. The Party President Mariano Rajoy blatantly lacks the charisma of Aznar and it is obvious that Aznar still plays a huge role within the party and therefore Spanish politics. It is incorrect that a former PM makes so many politically tinted comments. Not only is he undermining Rajoy, he is undermining the whole political system. “You had your time, now shut-up,” seems to be the general common sense opinion.
The PP Voter
Then, ultimately there are the PP voters. You can spot them from a mile away although often – as common amongst conservative voters – they do not admit it. They wear posh clothes, have little Spanish symbols such as mini-flags in their cars, on their wrists, on their foreheads. They often have not travelled outside their beloved Madrid and if they have done, it will have been to far-away destinations, preferably the States.
Their love for Spain as one unity blinds them from the fact that Spain is a beautiful diverse country with an array of traditions to be proud of. In stead of being proud, they are cynical and sour, marching and shouting for more Spanishness.
Witnessing this has surprised me and disgusted me at the same time. The opposition has been so poor that it begs to be believed. A prominent PSOE politician wrote in El Pais this Sunday. “We have to win, we will win. Just imagine if Rajoy, Acebes and Zaplana are allowed to run the country.” A simple remark, but utterly true. It would be a complete disaster.
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6 comments:
Thomas, my friend, as Frank would say: “You make me feel so young, you make me feel like spring has sprung…”
Seriously, thank you a lot for writing about this stuff in your blog. I really appreciate your interest about the political Spanish life, your reading and writing about it in order to create your own opinion, your accuracy in your analysis [so your sensibility] and your total lack of apathy for these issues that many may find arduous –fascinating to me. Thank you indeed because one of the biggest problems nowadays is the ignorance/carelessness of the people for problems that are outside their iPod. And of course thank you for sharing with us and let us comment. You are intellectually challenging, man!
After this statutory but honest adulation for my friend, just a "few" (haha) notes…
• Franco, Fraga and the PP: Fraga, apart from being someone that in his political youth was so close from the fascist dictator to be one of his Ministers [something that should have already been enough to take any rest of democratic credibility away from him], recycled or not for democracy after having supported the Transition and the Constitution, had indeed signed several death penalties with his “dictatorship pales” in his fascist days. Scary that he is still politically active…
This close relationship with Franco is not so odd among the PP leaders though. Just two little examples:
Both Aznar’s grandpa and dad were firstly the official journalist of the Regime and secondly the director of the Public Spanish Radio Station [Radio Nacional de España] so the leaders of the propaganda in the media. The grandpa of Ruiz-Gallardón [the mayor of Madrid] was, among other important charges, the Minister of Housing. There are just lots of examples of not so trustful democratic backgrounds among both the creator and the nowadays PP’s leaders…
• The (lack) of useful opposition of PP: As you said not only they didn’t bring any interesting alternative choice to the Parliament, but they just sowed as much discord as possible. Chose and apocalyptic and irresponsible alarmism about several important issues to try damage the Government and get votes. There were just threatens everywhere to:
To the unity of the nation, to the Spanish language, to the Spanish flag and to the “Spanishness”.
To the traditional values such as the Catholic family because now gays can get marry and adopt kids.
To a free Catholic education for the kids because of the creation of the subject “Civic Education” in the schools.
To the economic welfare and growth.
Negotiating ETA’s dissolution with the terrorists to achive the peace supposed the surrender of the Spanish people, of the Estate, of the Empire of Law and an outrage to memory of the victims…
They just “dramaqueened” for everything with dark intentions: getting as many votes as possible. So they never really cared about unities, freedom of choices, values, growths, surrenders [peace!] or memories… They just ambition the power their grandfathers taught them was theirs. Its speech only tried to scare the people with an alarmism that lies in the spreading of this concept that goes straight to your entrails, not to your brain: the basic and ethereal values are in danger [God, tradition and patriotic nostalgia]. Never said a word about the real and tangible people’s problems [housing or salaries for instance].
• The PP Voter: I totally agree with Thomas’ description of the typical PP voter: The posh people. But there are not 9 millions of posh people in Spain (that is the scary figure of PP voters). There are less posh people and not every single posh person votes for them either. So who are the rest of the voters? Well… Here comes the real drama.
Somehow you can assume that someone posh votes for the right wing [not that they have a good excuse to be forgiven for that sin, but it’s something you can kind of accept]. But it isn’t so acceptable that a blue collar, someone with humble roots, votes for them. Unfortunately there are plenty of them. Plenty of people that were seduced by that alarmism that told your country and your values are in danger because of the “reds”… Because obviously the politicians will never help you, poor worker, to make your daily life easier, so at least we will preserve those “important” values that tell what your identity is… Because, what else do you have apart from that?
That is the tricky ruse that firstly takes advantage of ignorant people to get their votes and secondly takes their look away from the political life, making them loose any interest in it [“what can a politician do for me?” Is such a sad and harmful idea…] and finally makes them leave these important issues in the hands of the ones that really want the power [”the hands of those ones that really know what the best for me is”].
This also explains the high rates of abstention we usually suffer from…
Moreover a "new rich" country like ours [huge growth in a really short period of time] makes people to do [to vote] what they always saw the riches used to did [so what their inferiority complex tells them to do now]: Vote for the right wing! Showing off is so important here... Maricón el último again
Ok man, I’ll stop my wandering for today… :)
PD: Goooo Obama!!
Jajaja. Why don't you get your own blog, Edu??
;)
already have one Asaf!! http://edsangar.blogspot.com
Thing is that Thomas writes about really interesting stuff and I suffer from writing incontinence too ;)
Edu, the only reason why I am interested in Spanish politics is - in fact - because I don't have an iPod.
Many thanks for your interesting comments, the article could have been 10 times longer. The PP committed yet another big mistake yesterday by effectively throwing out the only figure (Gallardón, the Mayor of Madrid) who could have won votes for them from the left. In stead I read somewhere he would be replaced by Ana Botella, Aznar's wife...God help us all! Please. Pretty Please.
I was joking. I already knew about your blog. Some day I will visit it and leave a comment.
For now I rely on Thomasenmadrid to tell me about truth, happiness and courage. It defines my view of the world and acts as a shining beacon.
Very interesting post and very interesting comments. It's nice to see how Thomas is discovering Spain and its "differences" from the rest of Europe. (Remember the famous sentece: "(E)Spain is different!".
I think that the fact that he's writing about our politics is a good thing, so his friends and relatives, or anyother English speaking people, can have a better idea about what's going on here.
Eduardo's comments enrich the text as well and after what they've said I have not so much to add.
It's sad to see how PP has been absolutely not able to practice a constructive opposition role. Despite I didn't vote them, they have an obligation with me: to control the government. I put them in that position!!! In the end elections aren't, or shouldn't be, about winning or losing "the power", but about accepting different kinds of responsabilities.
Politics in Spain have reached a very low profile and we, the citizens, are responsible for that as well. We should be a bit more active and when we do not agree with the goverment's initiatives or the opposition's actions, it'd be good to write the deputies that represent us in the Parliament.
I just want to end wishing that everybody thinks about the consequences of having Rajoy, Acebes, Zaplana (who should be in jail for commenting that he's a politician just to become richer) and the new conservative adquisition, Mr. Pizarro, as our leaders. It will be a step back in the democratic development of Spain, for sure!
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