Beyond the formation of the new Spanish Government
- Yesterday, Pablo Iglesias told Pedro Sánchez that he would sleep less before the rise of the far-right, being one or two ministers of Podemos. I do not know whether Pedro Sánchez has slept well or not, but what is clear is that, when the new elections were convened, Pedro Sánchez has not fulfilled his objective, the PSOE has not emerged stronger and the options of forming government are no better than the elections of 28 April.
The results of yesterday's elections confirm that the Spanish State is obliged to respond to the territorial crisis it is suffering. On the other day, Pedro Sánchez refused to talk to the independence forces. Now, the signatories of the Declaration of La Llotja de Mar have more strength in the Congress of Spain: The Catalan independence forces have a place in Congress, EH Bildu has achieved another (with the option of forming its own group) and the BNG has entered Congress with a new seat. The independence parties will certainly be decisive in the new legislature.
And we must not forget that the most serious consequence of yesterday's elections was the rise of VOX. Terrible, yes, but to deal with the ultra-right, we will have to act courageously, not with fear.
Yesterday, Pedro Sánchez, maintained the motto of his Orain bai campaign, and “I’m sure we’ll get a progressive, secure government,” said I don’t know what Sánchez calls a progressive government, but he has to be clear that in order to form a progressive and stable government he has to deal with issues he doesn’t like, such as the resolution of the La Llotja de Mar Declarations, the right to decide on civil liberties.
As it happened after the April elections, Pedro Sánchez aspires to look to the right and to see the pp abstain. And I would dare to say that now it will succeed. But in exchange for what? Under what conditions? Pedro Sánchez, with the abstention of pp, could achieve the investiture of the president of the government. And then? To carry out the government program, to approve the budgets, … with whom?
And we must not forget that the most serious consequence of yesterday's elections was the rise of VOX. Terrible, yes, but to face up to the far-right we have to act courageously and not with fear. And in the election campaign, state politicians have put the red carpet on the VOX xenophobic, chauvinist and fascist messages.
On the part of the PSOE, it has to position itself clearly before the far-right; before the demands of Catalonia, and before the right to relate in another way to the Spanish State demanded by Euskal Herria and other nationalities; and many other issues. I have doubts that Pedro Sánchez and the PSOE will be able to do so.
In any case, the results of yesterday let us address the democratization and territorial organization of the Spanish State and encourage the change of policies around them. These are issues that go beyond government training, but they are challenges to be tackled.
Arantza Urkaregi Etxepare
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