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Election results in Spain. What next?
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Vote buying has trumped FUD-spreading and xenophobia in Spain’s most dispiriting election since democracy was restored. The country has been given in trust to a government that has spent the past 4 years slowing the country down, allowing inflation to rocket and turning a budget surplus into vote rigging hand-me-downs.
As Spain matures into a developed nation it’s slowly turning its attention from constitutional -regionalism, terrorism and structure- to economic woes. This is no doubt good in the long run, but the next few years in the process of growing up are crucial and I have serious doubt about the capacity of Zapatero’s PSOE to steward the country through the challenges ahead.
On the good side, communists and separatists have both suffered great losses. Surely an indication of the country’s coming of age. And I wouldn’t be surprised if the dominant faction at Rajoy’s PP -Rajoy himself and all those who chose to campaign on divisive issues like race, freedoms and the artificial juxtaposition of tradition and prosperity- start to lose power and give way for a new generation of pro-business, socially pragmatic leaders. Closer to the centre, this new generation of leaders should be able to reconnect with the Spanish electorate and to tune with their real desires, wants and needs, creating a political program to inspire the voters and build -together- a mature, confident European democracy with a solid, prosperous economy at heart.
The next 4 years will be tough. A bright future may still await Spain in the long term.
Posted on March 10th, 2008 by Roberto Hortal
Filed under: Commentary
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