Unexpected scenario

The tension and confrontation prevail among political leaders who fight for power at all costs. Fortunately, it is not always the rude ones who win, who raise their voices too loudly, lie because they say they change their minds, use demagogy and populism to cover up their irregularities, and their eagerness to impose their most personal and partisan interests makes them crumble in the face of the changing and numerous versions they grudgingly offer.  

This is where we are in Spain, with a monumental brawl by the president of the Association of Victims of Terrorism against the Prime Minister in one of the halls of the Royal Palace where the royal reception was being held for the National Day, 12 October, Columbus Day. Demure and ashamed, angry and shocked at not having foreseen that someone would have the courage and dignity to say to his face, in the silence of the group of stunned journalists, ‘it is a disgrace what you are doing with the victims of terrorism, it is not right that you should make such a policy with the ETA prisoners. He has one day to rectify’, Maite Araluce sentenced.  

That's your opinion, stammered Sánchez, who soon left the reception. It was not the right time or the right place, according to some of those present, but Ms Araluce had reproached the president of the government for not having received her for more than a year and for having sent her an email and not having replied. Firmly and politely, the message went straight to the addressee. Without intermediaries. No advisors preparing scenarios for a few months from now. No slogans to be repeated by ministers next Monday.

The brawl is impressive for those who have experienced it live. Sánchez was unable to shield himself in the plasma that he reproached Rajoy so much for and without being able to choose prepared questions. He only launched one of the messages rehearsed with his ‘sparrings’ in the Moncloa: Feijóo is like Torquemada. In another room of the palace, Feijóo responded that given the events and all the information known about possible cases of serious irregularities, i.e. corruption, Sánchez should not be at this party.  

Those invited to celebrate the National Day were incessantly commenting on what had happened and speculating about the immediate future of the government. The fact is that a foreign media outlet like The Economist has to come along to show the lace. In the meantime, the crisis created and the legal uncertainty are causing international investors to distrust the country. A ruin.